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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28494981">Divine Comedy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sibir/pseuds/Sibir'>Sibir</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alec POV, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Jane POV, Jane and Alec redemption fic, Post-Breaking Dawn, Seth POV, all canon Cullen couples included, non imprint romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 17:14:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>112,655</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28494981</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sibir/pseuds/Sibir</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jane is sent on an undercover mission to dismantle the Cullens by pretending to defect from the Volturi, only for the mission to be derailed by kindness and compassion from Seth, as he helps Jane not only save herself from the trauma &amp; sins of her past, but from the iron grip of the Volturi. [Updates on Saturdays]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alice Cullen/Jasper Hale, Carlisle Cullen/Esme Cullen, Edward Cullen/Bella Swan, Emmett Cullen/Rosalie Hale, Seth Clearwater/Jane</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>86</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>First off, thanks a lot for your interest. I imagine that Seth x Jane isn't a popular pairing, but I just had to get this story off my chest. I've always felt sorry for Jane and Alec because of their tragic backstories, and Seth being such a ray of sunshine compared to the cold and cruel Jane sowed the seeds of an interesting ship in my head. I like the challenge of writing unlikely pairings. Hope you enjoy and keep reading.</p><p>Some notes to make:</p><p>-I aged up Jane and Alec to make them physically 15 instead of 12/13 like in the books, so closer to movie portrayals.</p><p>-No imprinting in this fic's universe because in all honesty, I hate the idea of imprinting.</p><p>-This is set during the COVID-19 pandemic. I know this doesn't align with canon timeline, but bear with me. I thought it'd be interesting to explore how the vampires and wolves of Twilight would deal with it. As someone training to enter the medical field, I'm having a field day with this setting.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>The ends of my cloak billowed around me in a dark whisper as I knelt before my masters.</p><p>Any sane vampire would quake and quail before the triumvirate of the Volturi, and rightfully so. Aro, Marcus, and Caius form the hand that keeps a tight, iron grip on the vampire world. As the highest-ranked member of the guard, and among their most faithful agents for the past millennium, I was one of the few who could afford to present myself before the triumvirate without fearing for my life. I <em>owed</em> them my life. Even a thousand years gone by didn't feel enough to satisfy the debt I owed to them, especially to Aro. Only eternity felt long enough to satisfy a debt to your savior.</p><p>Aro's voice, ever so light and courteous, floated down the steps to me. "Jane, my dear, we have a mission for you."</p><p>I dipped my head before meeting his filmy red gaze. "Name it and I will carry it out, Master."</p><p>"After much consideration, planning, and adding to our ranks, we are now certain that we have found a way to dismantle the Olympic coven. Our...ah, somewhat embarrassing retreat from Forks had not been completely in vain."</p><p>The dispute over the supposed immortal child was almost half a year ago. I was not surprised to hear that Aro and his co-rulers had not been idle, that they had been plotting something all the while. Well, in all honesty, I'm not very sure how involved Marcus was in such plans. Aro and Caius were usually the masterminds behind any clever scheming. Marcus, with the countenance of someone long decayed in a tomb, with the enthusiasm of a limp, wet towel, merely agreed with whatever the other two concocted.</p><p>Aro steepled his hands as he regarded me. "You, Jane, are a crucial part to bringing about the downfall of the Cullens."</p><p>I couldn't help cracking a smirk. How I had longed to see that piss-eyed rabble drop like flies. Ever since the newest addition to their coven resisted my power, I harbored fantasies to exact revenge on her. The shield will finally crack. I relished the thought.</p><p>Aro seemed to catch my smirk as he made one of his own. "Don't get too excited, my dear. Not all of the coven will go up in flames. We will eliminate the ones deemed unnecessary, and take in the ones who will be of great use to the Volturi."</p><p>I averted my narrowed eyes to the stone steps. I didn't need to be reminded of the ones Aro had so coveted. Alice the fortune-teller, Edward the mind-reader, and Bella the shield. I couldn't forget their names even if I wanted, since Aro had mentioned them so many times in voicing his wish to recruit them. Resentment bubbled within me like acid in a human's gut, but I forced it down out of loyalty to my masters.</p><p>"How will you have me bring them over to our side?" I asked. There was no mention of my fellow guards accompanying me on this mission. Not Felix, not Demetri. Not even my brother, Alec. That was unheard of. I couldn't hide my unrest as I frowned. "You mean to have me confront the Olympic coven <em>alone</em>?"</p><p>"Yes, you'll be going alone, but not without help. On that note, allow me to introduce our newest recruit." Aro looked up past me and beckoned with a curl of his fingers.</p><p>I turned to see an Asian woman approach us from the double doors Felix and Demetri had opened up for her. Her smooth, confident stride carried her across the chamber. She appeared to be in her late twenties, though true vampiric age was much harder to tell, of course. Dark, curled locks bounced against her shoulders with each step. She stopped just a few feet behind me and bowed before the Volturi rulers.</p><p>"Jane, meet Phuong," Aro went on. "She may be our newest recruit, but she is certainly not new to her craft. She had been working as a spy for the communist party of Vietnam since their civil war, infiltrating the opposing side before exposing and turning in her targets." He flashed the Vietnamese vampire a smile. "So generous of you to lend us your talents."</p><p>The corners of her thin lips perked. "They were starting to feel wasted with the Vietnamese government. It's an honor to be counted among the esteemed Volturi."</p><p>Aro returned his attention to me. "Phuong will be your aid in this mission. Her gift is to construct personas. You, my dear Jane, will make good use of that gift by pretending to come to the Cullens as a defector from the Volturi."</p><p>That made me regard Phuong with intrigue. "I suppose she can make me forget that I was given this mission in the first place. I will approach the Cullens under the guise of wanting to turn over a new leaf. In other words, her gift makes the perfect shield from Edward's mind-reading and Alice's visions."</p><p>Aro clapped his hands once in delight. "Clever girl. Precisely."</p><p>"How long will I be on this undercover mission?" And I couldn't help adding, "Not too long, I hope?"</p><p>"You have a year to convince the Cullens that you want to lead a new life outside the Volturi," Caius said. "When the time comes, and the Cullens let down their guard, we will strike."</p><p>Aro waved his hand. "The details of the counterstrike are not important to you, Jane. What matters to you is doing your part in deceiving the Cullens." He smirked. "Their kindness will prove to be their undoing. Carlisle in particular seems fond of taking in young, vulnerable vampires under his care. Against Bella, you are powerless, and without your formidable power, you'll be small and unthreatening. You'll lull them into a false sense of security."</p><p>I didn't like the thought of being rendered useless before the shield, but for the good of the mission, I had to swallow down my dislike.</p><p>"That is why you are the perfect candidate for this mission, Jane."</p><p>"Is she?" Caius cut in. "I'm starting to think otherwise."</p><p>"Whatever do you mean?" Marcus asked. "I thought we had all agreed on this." His tone evidently carried the weight of exasperation, along the lines "oh, dear, here we go again, stirring up the pot when everything inside had just settled in."</p><p>"Surely, Aro, you won't brush off the time when Jane brought part of the last feeding frenzy outside our gates."</p><p>At Caius's reply, I stiffened in my kneeling position. They knew? I dared to glance up at Aro, who made the slightest shrug.</p><p>"Jane broke no rules last week, Caius. She had taken away a baby, a little thing with no memory or knowledge of our existence. Hardly something to fuss over."</p><p>Caius scowled. "Still, letting human prey leave intact? It's unheard of. I expect that least of all from the likes of Jane."</p><p>If I still had human blood coursing through my veins, they would be surging under my cheeks and ears by now. "That will not happen again, Master," I said in a hardened voice. "Let me take on this mission to prove my loyalty to you."</p><p>"And I have no doubt that you will fulfill it," Aro said pleasantly. "You have never failed me before in all these years. If anything, that little incident can lend more credibility to your ruse, won't it, my dear?"</p><p>Caius fell silent at this, evidently interpreting Aro's reply as a defensive stance on my behalf. His face, however, was not without traces of skepticism aimed at me. I strived to keep my own face a mask of smooth stone. Centuries of servitude and discipline made that relatively effortless.</p><p>Aro settled back into his chair, his seat of power positioned between Marcus and Caius. "I have said enough. Phuong will lead you through the rest. Go now, my good and faithful servant."</p><p>At his dismissal, I rose to my feet and followed Phuong out of the chamber.</p><p>"How does your gift work exactly?" I asked her. "I've never heard of such a thing before."</p><p>"I wouldn't have been so successful with aiding the communist party if my secret was out." A playful light glittered in her red eyes. "I tell you what you ought to be, and you follow what I've laid out for you until the time comes for me to return you to your true self."</p><p>"What I ought to be...how much of that can you control? You can tell me to become anyone? Anything?"</p><p>"Well, within reason. I can't, for example, tell you that you will be a polka-dotted flying hippopotamus."</p><p>I couldn't resist rolling my eyes at that. "Clearly that would be impossible to pull off."</p><p>She chuckled. "Exactly. Constructing the nuances of a believable persona involves scrambling up your memory and implanting a few commands into your head. I can literally snap you in and out of the act at will."</p><p>"So it works somewhat like hypnosis."</p><p>"That's one way to put it. My gift isn't without its limits, though." She wiggled her fingers to imitate pulling the strings of a puppet. "I can't control every action and thought of yours in your persona, and the suggestive state I put you in is time-sensitive. Even if I wanted to keep someone in a persona forever, I can't. The effect lasts up to a year before I have to 'renew' the act, so to speak. My gift can last up to a few weeks or months on average. I went through training to extend my limit up to a year."</p><p>"This will be the longest I'll spend outside of Volterra," I murmured, "and this will be the longest you'll have to give out a persona..."</p><p>She flashed me a grin. "Looks like this mission will be a first for both of us."</p><p>I didn't return it. "Looks that way." I admitted. I disliked the perkiness of new recruits. They'd wise up as the years go on.</p><p>I knew the fortress well enough that Phuong was leading me to the private hanger, where the Volturi set out on missions abroad. Some of the lowest-ranking members acted as escorts to our destinations, by plane, car, or boat. Phuong and I stopped just after the threshold to the hanger.</p><p>"If you can introduce and remove the persona at will, I assume that you will meet up with me in a year to decide whether to prolong or end the act."</p><p>Phuong nodded. "You catch on quickly. I'll be the judge of whether your ruse was a success or not."</p><p>"How do I know to meet you?"</p><p>"You won't, but we will meet regardless. Just leave those arrangements to me."</p><p>I frowned. "All right."</p><p>I was informed on the ins and outs of every prior mission that needed my involvement. To be left in the dark wasn't a good feeling, but I had no choice but to trust in Aro, who must be trusting me a great deal to assign this important mission to me. I would not let him down. I never have.</p><p>"All right," Phuong repeated after me. "Let's get started. Look right into my eyes, Jane, and don't look away while I give you your objective."</p><p>I complied, though not without noting that I was short for my physical age, while she was tall for an Asian woman. Not including the immortal children, I was arguably the smallest vampire in existence. It was a nuisance at times, and an asset on better days. The moment I looked up and she stared down at me, she had all my focus and attention riveted at her intense red gaze. Her voice rang with authority.</p><p>"You are Jane, a longtime member of the Volturi dismissed by your master, Aro. You will leave Volterra to seek a new and better life. You will seek the Olympic coven for guidance and sanctuary. You will struggle to adjust, but above all you want to reform."</p><p>Phuong broke the arresting hold on me with a snap of her fingers. I blinked several times, though it was not necessary for a vampire like me to do such a thing. My mind felt like a room that someone had broke into and messed around in, so that I came back to find everything upended and out of place. It took me another moment to return my gaze to the woman standing before me, to remember what I was doing in this hanger in the first place.</p><p>"You...I guess you're here to take me to the Olympic coven, aren't you?"</p><p>She smiled down at me. "Yes, I am."</p><p>"Have we met before?"</p><p>"I'm Phuong. I'm new here. You're leaving while I'm coming in...how's that for uncanny timing?"</p><p>I raised an eyebrow at her, not amused. "Are you my replacement?"</p><p>She laughed. "Of course not. I can't ever match your talent. But I will say that I'm far from the only recruit joining the Volturi."</p><p>I looked back to the threshold of the hanger, to the ancient hallways winding down to the main chamber. Aro no longer wanting me in the Volturi, by his side, left a sting that made me turn my back to the hallways with a spin of my heel.</p><p>I followed Phuong up into a private jet, which set a course straight to Forks. I spent that quiet trip in the air mulling over what to say to the Olympic coven—no, the Cullen family—when I would meet them. They were less of a coven and more like a family, bound by mutual love and respect for each other, unlike the servitude and obedience that held the Volturi together.</p><p>Still, a family of vampires meant a formidable group of vampires. There came a certain vulnerability to approaching them alone without Felix's strength, or the potent assurance of Alec's gift in smothering the senses. I could only hope that the Cullens would hear me out without tearing me apart first. I wasn't on the best terms with them the last time we had crossed paths. Regardless, they were my best hope for showing me how to lead a life outside the one I had always known at Volterra.</p><p>The private jet touched down into a meadow without ceremony, and Phuong stopped at the jet's opening as I stepped down into the grass.</p><p>"Good luck, Jane," she said with a wink.</p><p>I watched the jet take off before I set off on my own way further into the wilderness. I didn't get to go far. Only a minute of walking passed by before I found myself surrounded by the Cullens. Of course the shield was there, holding her little hybrid child that had grown since I last saw her. If the Cullens were like those giant stinking wolves, their hackles would be raised and their teeth would be bared at me.</p><p>"What are you doing here, Jane?" Edward demanded.</p><p>"We've broken no rules," Carlisle assured me with the calmness I had never heard him break before. "We strive to uphold that standard."</p><p>I tucked my hands into the folds of my coat and assumed the least threatening stance as possible. "I didn't come on behalf of the Volturi," I replied, trying to match that calm. "I came out of my own free will."</p><p>"Liar," Emmett snapped. "It's a trap."</p><p>His mate Rosalie immediately chimed in. "You're not really alone. Other Volturi cronies must be hiding nearby, waiting to pounce on us."</p><p>"Don't be ridiculous," I said with a scoff. "Any vampire with a working nose can tell that I came here with no one else."</p><p>"She's right," the shield exclaimed. "She really came by herself."</p><p>"We should trust her newborn nose," Jasper said to Emmett and Rosalie.</p><p>"Did you really leave the Volturi, Jane?" Esme asked me. Like the others, she had her guarded wariness, though out of all of them, she sounded the most gentle and concerned.</p><p>"Yes, I left." Something tucked in the recesses of my mind sent a strange, tickling sensation down my palate, like words sliding up to the tip of my tongue. "I left Volterra and came here seeking a new and better life. I am interested in adopting your lifestyle."</p><p>"I call bullshit," Emmett said. "No one would believe that."</p><p>"I would," Alice said. Her wide golden-colored gaze swept over her fellow coven members before settling it on me. "She's telling the truth. I've seen her future. She will reform."</p><p>The other Cullens looked at her with naked disbelief. All except Edward.</p><p>"I agree with Alice," he said in a low voice. "Her thoughts are as true as what she's saying. She really is interested in learning to live like us."</p><p>"I won't be so bold to ask for a place among your coven, your family," I said. "I only want to learn enough from you so I can go off to live on my own terms."</p><p>The shield (who I will keep refusing to name) peered at me with distrust. "You've served the Volturi for so long. You're one of their most powerful weapons. What made you leave?"</p><p>I lowered my gaze to the forest floor. "I've been nothing to them but a weapon. Now I want to be something else."</p><p>Silence hung over us like a second canopy below the first canopy of treetops.</p><p>"That's a valid reason, Jane," Carlisle said.</p><p>I searched his face to find compassion in his eyes as well as his voice.</p><p>"Maybe you still remember that I myself had left the Volturi because I disagreed with their way of life. I left to live life the way I wanted to, and to start my own family. You have a chance to start over too. We can show you how." He glanced around at the others. "Only if we're all in agreement, of course."</p><p>A pause reigned over the Cullens as they stood there deciding my fate.</p><p>The shield was the first to speak up. "I trust Edward and Alice. If they say that Jane's telling the truth, then I have to believe that she is."</p><p>"I agree with Bella," Jasper said quietly.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Rosalie said with a shake of her head, "I'm still having a hard time trusting anything coming out of that little witch's mouth. But better to keep an eye on her than let her run loose."</p><p>"Bella's shield can keep her in check." Emmett gave his newest sister a nudge in the ribs. "I think we can all rest well—figuratively speaking—knowing that."</p><p>"I'm fine with letting Jane stay with us," Esme said.</p><p>Carlisle nodded in satisfaction. "Then it's settled. We'll take her home with us."</p><p>But not without keeping a close eye on me and a safe distance from me, of course. Jasper and Emmett, two of the physically strongest members of the clan, flanked me. The shield's intense gaze on me from behind never left during the whole way back to where the Cullens called home.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>I've always been an easy target for teasing. Nowadays the guys in the rez like to say "You're such a sucker for those bloodsuckers, huh, Seth?"</p><p>And I'd shrug and say "Yeah, guess I am."</p><p>I had no shame in admitting that I like the Cullens. Like, a lot. To the point that I could get over my natural wolf instinct to launch at them with fangs bared, that I could get over how they're supposed to be my natural enemy. What I learned lately was that not <em>all</em> of them are my enemy. Some of them are actually pretty chill. Almost human.</p><p>Jake had come to learn that lesson too, I think. He'd taken a real shine to Renesmee since she came into the picture, and of course, he remained a good friend for Bella. He'd visit the Cullen place as much as me. On a chilly, dewy morning, he and I raced each other down the trail we knew well and always took to reach their house. Our shirts and pants were spotted with dew as we sprinted through the undergrowth.</p><p>"Beat you again," Jake burst out with a triumphant laugh.</p><p>I groaned in defeat between panting. "I'll beat you someday."</p><p>"Only in your dreams, little man." Jake hooked his arm around my neck and tussled my hair in a good ol' noogie.</p><p>I yelped and squirmed to get out of his grip and he just laughed. Leah was my sister, while Jake was the brother I never had. I had tried a bunch of times to convince Leah to come with us on our Cullen visits, but even after the whole Renesmee deal, she still hasn't warmed up to them yet. Too bad for her that I was as stubborn as she was. The Clearwater family was strong in the Force—er, stubbornness.</p><p>When Jake and I reached the Cullens' place, we were surprised to find it empty.</p><p>"Out for a hunt, maybe," I said.</p><p>Jake shook his head. "They don't usually hunt at this time of day."</p><p>"Where could they have gone, then?" Just as the question left my mouth, a new sickly sweet scent hit the roof of my mouth.</p><p>Jake must've had the same sensation as he mirrored my stiffening reaction.</p><p>"A vamp we don't know," I said.</p><p>"We better check it out." At the alpha's command, I followed him as we raced again through the woods, this time without trading jokes and insults like usual. We skidded to a halt as the Cullen family's familiar scent hit us like a comforting wave, mingling with the new scent. Then they came into sight, forming a sort of procession around a small teenage girl.</p><p>I realized a second later that the small teenage girl was a vampire. The new scent was hers. Her red eyes stood out in a sea of golden ones.</p><p>"Hello, boys," Esme said. She gave us the smallest smile of apology. "I'm sorry, but now may not be the best time for a visit."</p><p>A growl sounded from the base of Jake's throat as he glared at the newcomer. "Who the hell is that?"</p><p>"This is Jane," Carlisle said. "She used to be a member of the Volturi."</p><p>"Don't let looks fool you," Emmett warned. "She's the strongest among them."</p><p>"Was," the girl named Jane corrected with a wrinkle of her nose. "It seems that my master has replaced me with someone stronger."</p><p>Jasper glared down at her. "You said that the reason you left was to try out our lifestyle."</p><p>"I can have more than one reason, can't I?"</p><p>Her voice had the scathing dryness of paint that peeled off of old stuff and stuck to your hand if you touched it. Her smug manner put none of us at ease.</p><p>Jake drew closer to Bella and Renesmee, though I knew that Bella didn't really need protection when she provided the best kind of it. "You're taking her in or something?"</p><p>"Jane left the Volturi and wants to learn how she can live like us," Carlisle explained. "She'll be staying with us and we'll keep an eye on her at all times."</p><p>Jake narrowed his eyes. "I hope so, because if she ever sets foot in La Push, she'll be torn to pieces. Like a little doll."</p><p>"Not if I could take you down first," Jane quipped.</p><p>Half of the Cullens turned around to glare at her and she shrugged. "Can't you all take a joke?" she said, and a ghost of a smile flickered across her pale face. She reminded me of the imps I had read in a mythology book: lots of trouble and chaos packed into a tiny body.</p><p>"Be careful around her," Rosalie warned us. "Thanks to Bella's shield, we're not all writhing in excruciating pain on the ground right now."</p><p>A prickle went up my spine. I couldn't put a name to it, but there was something off about Jane. At the same time I couldn't help being intrigued.</p><p>"While you're here, you should take the treaty we have with La Push seriously," Edward told Jane. "They have the right to protect their territory from us, their natural enemy."</p><p>The little vampire crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of setting foot in a place that reeks of wet dog."</p><p>"You don't smell so great yourself," Jake retorted.</p><p>Carlisle raised placating hands. "Let's all be civil, please."</p><p>Before he could go on, I stepped up to address the new girl. I even gave her a little wave of my hand. "Hi, Jane. I'm Seth Clearwater."</p><p>She said nothing, and only stared back at me with the kind of face you give to someone who barges into your room while you're in the middle of changing, and you're standing there almost buck-ass naked in your underwear.</p><p>Jake pulled me back by the arm and rolled his eyes. "He didn't mean making introductions, doofus. He means we should get the hell out of here and leave the Cullens to their business."</p><p>"Oh, right, duh," I muttered. I could be so dense sometimes.</p><p>Carlisle couldn't help chuckling at that, then he said, "We're going to get Jane situated into our home and work out accommodations. It's best that you two stay in La Push until then."</p><p>From an alpha to another alpha. Jake didn't object to Carlisle, but he glowered at Jane and took advantage of Bella's shield to stride right up and tower over her with his much greater height. "Listen, you may be under the Cullens' protection, but make one wrong move and do anything to hurt Nessie, and there's nowhere on Earth where you'd be able to hide from me."</p><p>Jane just brushed off the threat with a face that reminded me of those rock heads on Easter Island. "Perhaps you had your head buried in snow during the trial, so I suppose you need a reminder that I have no reason to hurt this child."</p><p>Jake had no smart comeback to this. He only held his glare for a second longer before turning away. "C'mon, Seth, let's get back."</p><p>I loped after him, but not before throwing one last glance back at the Cullen family and their new guest. That had to be the youngest, smallest vampire I'd ever seen. I was never the greatest at telling age, let alone vampire age, but I guessed she looked around fifteen. My age. Looks can be deceiving, though. Something about the way she glided across the forest floor, with that imperious upward tilt of her chin, and how she wore that coat of gold buttons and fur trim, told me that she was actually a lot older than she looked. I didn't miss the pendant swinging from her neck, the V at the end standing for Volturi. The Cullens were really on edge around her, even with Bella around, like she was a ticking time bomb set to explode. Jane must be real dangerous. But I couldn't deny that she seemed real interesting, too.</p><p>And then, the stupid, teenage boy part of me sprang up like a devil on my shoulder to whisper in my ear: she actually looked kind of cute. How she kept her hair back with a black ribbony bow was a nice touch. I almost groaned out loud. Come on, Seth, get it together. A wolf crushing on a vampire, of all things? The guys would never ever let me live it down.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Divine Comedy (2)</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>I could not stop thinking of that boy named Seth, even long after he had bounded away through the undergrowth. I could not stop thinking of his blood, rather. The smell of it, and even the mere sight of it flowing and pulsing under his skin...it took every ounce of restraint I had not to throw myself at him when he stepped up to greet me like a stupid little puppy, completely ignorant of the way he affected me. Just that step he took, one that closed the distance between us, had triggered a flood of venom pooling over my teeth and tongue. I swallowed hard to regain my composure.</p><p>"La tua cantante," Aro called it. Blood singer. In all the years of my vampire life, despite countless humans I had preyed on, I had never met someone whose blood smelled so delicious and intoxicating. It overpowered even that boy's disgusting wet dog scent.</p><p>Walking a few feet ahead of me, Edward threw a dark glance back at my direction. I may have been able to control my body, but my thoughts ran freely, and of course the mind-reader caught wind of them.</p><p>To my slight surprise, he said nothing of it and didn't voice his concerns as we arrived at the Cullen family's house. I took in the sight of it with a curious sweep of my gaze. It was long considered an enemy stronghold by the Volturi. Sometimes I wondered what it looked like. The house could be considered glamorous and expensive by average human standards, I supposed, though it lacked the aged resplendence of the Volturi castle.</p><p>We filed inside for me to behold the coven's attempt to lend a human charm to their home. Rows of collector's editions lined the shelves, reminding me of the library tucked away in the depths of Volterra. Pieces of abstract artwork occasionally dotted the walls. I noticed the grand piano, as well as the kitchen that the family likely never used but kept tidy anyway. The wide, abundant windows throughout the house struck me as the most un-vampire-like quality of the place. I was accustomed to the constant, gloomy shelter of the castle, so those windows made me somewhat uncomfortable.</p><p>"Jane, I think it's best if you stay in the living room," Carlisle said.</p><p>His suggestion, though gently worded, was firmly reinforced as the other Cullens exchanged looks and nods of agreement. If I stayed in the most open room and intersection of the house, they could come and go while keeping an eye on me. A sensible choice.</p><p>Carlisle settled into a couch and beckoned at me to take the seat across from him. I obliged, still under the golden-eyed scrutiny of his family.</p><p>"First and foremost, Jane, if you want to live like us, you would have to feed like us."</p><p>"Drink animal blood," I said, and couldn't help making the slightest wrinkle of my nose at that.</p><p>"I know it won't be easy, considering that human blood is more appetizing. On top of that, you've been accustomed to a diet of human blood longer than most of us have been around. I know from my line of work that it'd be unreasonable, and even harmful, to make patients suddenly stop consuming alcohol and drugs. The withdrawal symptoms can be as nasty as the substance abuse itself. What's done for those patients is a careful regimen of weaning: limiting their intake a bit at a time until they can get to a point of safely stopping completely."</p><p>I tugged up a corner of my mouth. "So helping me out will be like treating an alcoholic, or a drug addict. Is that how you 'vegetarians' see me?"</p><p>There was a flash of guilt in Carlisle's eyes, and that made me surprised that he'd feel any guilt toward me at all. "I'm just approaching this from a physician's mindset. My point is that in order for you to adjust your diet, we have to do it in small doses, in small steps. Bit by bit you'll be introduced to animal blood. It will take longer for you than it had for the rest of my family, and it'll be harder, but not impossible."</p><p>I nodded. "I see. I defer to your better judgment. I'll follow whatever you have in mind for me."</p><p>Tension had crackled like an undercurrent among the coven, and at my compliance, that tension seemed to have lifted a bit.</p><p>"Thank you for understanding, Jane," Esme said. "We wouldn't make you hunt with us for animal blood right away. For now you'll have to start with the diet you're used to."</p><p>I raised an eyebrow at Carlisle. "You've mentioned that you're a physician...I assume you have easy access to a source of human blood."</p><p>"You assumed correctly. I'll bring home donated blood products for you to drink. Even with the pandemic, I shouldn't have too much of a hard time getting my hands on them."</p><p>"Even you have heard of the pandemic, haven't you?" Emmett asked me.</p><p>I resisted rolling my eyes. "I may have lived under a castle, but I don't live under a rock. Of course I've heard of it."</p><p>Just because a disease like COVID-19 claimed only the lives of humans didn't mean that my kind was unaffected as well.</p><p>"Ever since Italy imposed a nationwide lockdown at the start of the year, tourism dropped to an all-time low," I went on. "Volterra stopped receiving the steady supply of food, so much so that my former masters made an exception on the rule that forbids hunting in Volterra. You could say that the Volturi played a helpful part in reinforcing curfew, by dealing with those who wouldn't follow it."</p><p>Discomfort rippled among the Cullens at the mention of that.</p><p>"You actually came to us at a good time," Edward said. "With quarantine and social distancing, not many people are out and about."</p><p>In other words, while pretending to comply with health precautions they didn't need to follow, the Cullens would have an easier time with monitoring me. Furthermore, when they choose to have me mingle among humans, there would be less around to tempt me.</p><p>Rosalie folded her arms across her chest as she stared down at me. "Carlisle's really going out of his way to accommodate you. He's already working long hours at the hospital with COVID-19 patients, and now he has to bring home blood for you. I say you better make your stay here worth it."</p><p>"I didn't come all this way, alone and unprotected, to ask for trouble," I replied. "I will make good use of my stay."</p><p>Carlisle rose from the couch. "That's reassuring to hear. It's about that time for my shift at work. I'll bring home blood later this evening, Jane. In the mean time, try to make yourself at home." He left wearing his white coat, and I trained my gaze on him until he slipped into his car and drove away.</p><p>How does he do it, I asked myself. All that blood, all those humans opened up in all sorts of ways...every day at the hospital introduced a flood of mouth-watering temptation. Even the rest of his family didn't have the control to handle that kind of environment. I would have to ask him about that when I have the chance. Aro had good reason to regard Carlisle with both admiration and confusion. I could not help feeling the same way about him.</p><p>"I'd like to talk to Jane for a bit," Edward said to his family. "The rest of you can relax and go about your business."</p><p>"I'll stay with you," the shield insisted, and to my irritation, Edward nodded with gratitude. The shield gently ushered her daughter away to go play with Rosalie.</p><p>Emmett clapped Edward on the back. "Thanks, Ed. I'd much rather watch the football game on TV than watch Jane." He turned away with the remote in hand, hooting "C'mon, Seahawks!"</p><p>Once I was left alone with Edward and the shield, Edward didn't sit down across from me like Carlisle had, but remained standing to angle golden-eyed intensity down at me.</p><p>"I know that Seth's blood sings to you. I want to make it very clear that Seth is off limits."</p><p>The shield stiffened at his side and augmented Edward's gaze on me with her own glare. "Don't get any funny ideas about sneaking out under our watch and getting your hands on him. I'll make sure of that."</p><p>I curled up my lip at her. "You're doing such a good job, making me so helpless."</p><p>"Seth is a good friend of ours," Edward said, "one of the kindest, purest souls I have the honor of knowing. You can't help your thoughts of his blood, I get that. I had the same struggle when I met Bella, before she turned. But if you do so much as lift a finger to harm Seth, I will make you regret ever setting foot in Forks." The last sentence ended with a small growl.</p><p>I crossed one leg over the other and cupped my hands over my knee. "How unsightly and amusing that you're on such good terms with a wolf. You Cullens are truly an unusual bunch." Then, remembering why I had come here in the first place, I softened the barb of my statement. "Unusual as you may be, it can't be denied that you have been well-adjusted and assimilated into human society. Many of our kind can only dream of attaining your level of success in that endeavor. I hope that I can learn a thing or two from your coven. The wolf boy complicates things, yes, but I didn't come here for him. I came here to escape Volterra."</p><p>"I don't blame you," the shield said. She looked down at her fiddling hands. "Those poor tourists, brought in like cattle for slaughter...I don't sleep and I don't have nightmares anymore, but I still can't forget how they screamed. After a thousand years of hearing that, you must've gotten tired of it all. I know I would."</p><p>I did not expect her show of sympathy towards me. I thought of the baby I had spared, the sole human to escape my hunger for blood.</p><p>Edward must have seen that thought, because the furrowed lines hardening his face softened a bit. "You can only live like a monster for so long," he murmured. He met my eyes and sternness returned to his voice. "Anyway, don't let Seth be an excuse for you to go back to your old ways. You hear me, Jane?"</p><p>I made a grimace as if he had leaned in and shouted right into my ear. "Yes, loud and clear. Stay away from the wolf boy. Got it."</p><p>Carlisle came from home from work later that evening, with bags of blood as promised. I met him at the kitchen, where he was preparing the blood for my consumption. Alice and Jasper, taking over "guard duty" from Edward and his mate, tailed me like wary hounds.</p><p>"Do you have a preference?" Carlisle asked, and he gestured to the blood types labeled on the bags.</p><p>I shrugged. "Not particularly. I can't tell the difference in the feeding frenzies."</p><p>I didn't miss how Alice and Jasper pulled faces at the mention of the Volturi's favorite way of feasting. Carlisle ended up mixing a bit from each bag into a ceramic cup.</p><p>"I suppose you prefer it warm over cold," he said as he stuck the cup into the microwave. When it was done warming up, he handed the cup over to me. "There, try it out."</p><p>I accepted his brew with a quiet thanks and sipped from the cup. Immediately I pulled back with a grimace. "Disgusting," I blurted out, then I quickly added, "Pardon my rudeness."</p><p>"I had mixed in a drop of cougar blood as well," Carlisle said. "Rosalie and Emmett had brought back some from their hunt earlier today."</p><p>I stared down at my cup with disapproval. That explained the bad taste lingering on my tongue. A millennium of consuming human blood made me sensitive even to the smallest introduction of animal blood. I imagined that the blood of herbivores—squirrels, deer, and the like—tasted even worse.</p><p>"Drink up," Alice said. "That cup was made just for you."</p><p>I shot a glare at her. I had the nagging sense that the Cullens secretly enjoyed my discomfort. I sighed and scrunched up my face before downing more of the mixed blood. I resisted the urge to spit it all back up on the kitchen counter. I shuddered once I finished and set down the cup. That would last me for another week or two, but good God above, that tasted like arse.</p><p>"You'll get used to it," Carlisle assured me as he stowed the bags of blood into the refrigerator. "Consistent practice is the key."</p><p>Which meant that in another week or two, I was due for another dose of that vile concoction. Instead of saying that, however, I merely nodded and thanked him again. I returned to the living room, thinking of just how infinitely better the wolf boy's blood would taste. I stifled the thought as quickly as it had sprang up. My gaze darted around with the nervousness of a hunted deer. Fortunately Edward was away with his daughter for a stroll in the woods. The shield had never left the house all the while, making sure that I would not use my gift on anyone.</p><p>Much as I resented her power, I actually wished she could shield me from having thoughts of the wolf boy's blood. Just the memory of how it smelled sent a pang through my gut, despite the cup of blood I had just drained. Why did fate set me up to have the blood of a stinking wolf sing to me?</p><p>Alice sat across from me on the sofa, interrupting my thoughts. "There's something I need you to know if you're going to be under this roof."</p><p>"Well, it looks like I don't have any other choice but to hear you out."</p><p>She ignored my dry remark. "Six months ago, when our covens met at the clearing, I showed Aro what would have happened if our meeting hadn't gone so well." Her eyes narrowed to golden slits. "Even with Bella's shield, you did your part to deliver a world of hurt. You were responsible for the torture and death of my mate, Jasper. You also harmed and helped kill a member of the wolf pack...the smallest wolf with the biggest heart of them all."</p><p>Good grief, here we go again. "I'm guessing his name is Seth."</p><p>Alice didn't reward me for correctly guessing. "I made sure you paid for what you had done," she went on with steel laced in her voice. "The vision may not have become our reality, but I won't forget for a second what you're capable of. You may have left the Volturi, and your future's better off for it, but you have a very long trail of blood to clean up. Prove to us that you're no longer the cruel and heartless witch that we know." The smile she gave me was completely devoid of warmth. "If you can't do that...well, I won't hesitate to throw you to the wolves."</p><p>She said nothing more and left me alone in the living room on that menacing note. No, I wasn't truly alone...out of the corner of my eye, the shield was standing guard at the kitchen.</p><p>I tried not to meet her eyes as I got up to scan the bookshelf, looking for something that would pass the time. A book on medical Spanish, probably Carlisle's, caught my eye. I curled up on the couch, under the light of a reading lamp, with the book spread open on my lap. Centuries of residing in Volterra made me fluent in Italian, but my Spanish could do with some brushing up. Reading failed to completely distract me, however, from thinking of the multiple threats aimed at me in a single day. Part of me was a bit flattered at still being considered dangerous and formidable, a reason to be so on guard. Another part of me was annoyed that these vampires cared so much for the wolves next door, especially for the one named Seth.</p><p>Alice had made no mention of her vision involving my reaction to the wolf boy's blood. She still didn't know that his blood sang to me. If he had been at the trial, I didn't recognize him. He was likely in his wolf form at that time, and the blood that would have made my mouth water was masked under all that musk and fur.</p><p>That boy had better stay in his land running on all fours, if he valued his life.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>Ever since meeting Jane, my mind became a diary containing the most embarrassing secret, a diary without a lock. No way would I open up my mind to the pack. I could just imagine the howls of laughter from Embry, Quil, Jared, and Paul. Worse, I could imagine the growling disapproval from Jake and Sam. I'd probably get a whack in the head from Leah, to knock some sense into me. And my mom...she definitely shouldn't know about Jane being here. I had to stop thinking about that little vampire before it'd be safe to phase again.</p><p>That meant focusing on school as much as I could. Too bad the pandemic was making that so freakin' hard. Webcam burnout was real, and taking online classes at home was making me stir-crazy. Reading comic books in my bed helped me tolerate being cooped up at home.</p><p>Leah poked her head into my bedroom. "Hey, Seth, wanna go patrolling with me?"</p><p>I looked up from my laptop. "Sorry, I have homework."</p><p>My big sister came in and stretched herself across my bed, lying on her stomach. "Look at you, being so studious and hard-working. You know, I'd rather you focus more on that than worry about La Push."</p><p>That took me aback. "What makes you say that?"</p><p>She paused and looked at me with a thoughtfulness I hadn't seen from her in a while. "You're just a kid, Seth. You got your whole life ahead of you, and I don't want you to feel that protecting the land is the only option you have. Finish high school, go to college, see if there's a career you wanna get into. Live a normal life. Take the chance that the others don't have."</p><p>I frowned and spun in my chair to face her. "I'm committed to protecting our land. I've fought along with my brothers, and I'd do it again if I have to."</p><p>"Maybe, but do you <em>want</em> to? There may be wolf in your blood, Seth, but not fighting. You're a gentle guy deep down. You're not a fighter, and I'm not just saying that because you're my little brother. I know you can fight, but I also know that you can do more than that if you took the chance. That's why there's stuff like college, to help you figure out if there's something else you want to do with your life."</p><p>I chuckled. "Since when did you become my school counselor?"</p><p>"Starting now, I guess." Leah took one of my manga volumes and bopped me on the head with it. "Read less of these and look more into what you want to major in."</p><p>"So bossy," I said in a mock whine. "What happened to my cool big sister?"</p><p>She snorted. "I've always been your cool big sister." She rolled off of my bed. "Okay, I'll go on ahead while you do your homework." She sprinted out of my room and out of the house, and I glanced out the window to catch her wolf form as a grey streak across the clearing.</p><p>I let out a sigh of relief. If she had dragged me to go on border patrol with her, she'd find out about Jane, and then she'd give me hell for it.</p><p>I jumped as my phone vibrated on my desk. Edward was calling me. I picked up, wondering what he wanted.</p><p>"Hey, Edward, what's up?"</p><p>"Hi, Seth," he said from the other end. "I need to talk to you about Jane."</p><p>"What about her?"</p><p>"I need you to stay as far away from her as possible. I don't want to scare you, but I feel that you have the right to know."</p><p>My mouth went dry. "Know about what?"</p><p>There was a pause and Edward went on to choose his words carefully. "It's common knowledge that human blood is appetizing to vampires. But there is the blood of certain individuals that vampires can be particularly attracted to. We refer to those individuals as blood singers, because it's as if their blood is singing and calling to the vampire. Seth...you are Jane's blood singer."</p><p>My heart skipped a beat. "That, uh...that can't be good."</p><p>"It's certainly unusual. I've never heard of a vampire being drawn to the blood of a wolf. I suppose there's a first time for everything."</p><p>"So I guess that means I can't visit you guys as long as Jane's around." My heart sunk at that.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Seth...I know how much you enjoy coming over, and we'd welcome you on any other occasion. Unfortunately, having Jane around complicates the situation."</p><p>"I understand."</p><p>"Blood singer or not, you should stay away from her because she is dangerous. She can trigger the illusion of pain that can bring anyone and anything to their knees. I've had a taste of it myself. That's what made her so highly ranked in the Volturi. You don't want to be on the receiving end of what makes her so feared among our kind."</p><p>I tightened my grip on my phone. "I hear you. Sounds like a real piece of work. Thanks for the warning."</p><p>"No problem." Edward hung up, leaving me with a sense of foreboding that kept me from focusing on the homework assignment.</p><p>I couldn't sleep later that night. I tossed and turned under my blankets, and finally I kicked them back to cool off the sweat from my pits and back. I couldn't see it before, but what Edward said made think that underneath the layers of disdain and disgust, deep down Jane had a bloodlust specifically for me.</p><p>My hand slid up to the side of my neck, right where Jane would sink her teeth in if I wasn't careful about staying away.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Trigger/content warning: mention of sexual assault in Alec's POV.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>Staying in the living room of the Cullen house was comparable to my residency in Volterra in some ways, but different in others. No one in the Volturi, not even a high-ranked member like myself, had a room to call his or her own. We kept no possessions beyond the robes designating our rank and the pendant signifying our allegiance. We had no need for private space. We were always either guarding the triumvirate, or were sent out on missions to keep unruly vampires in line.</p><p>Traveling widely to enforce the Volturi's laws, and shadowing the three rulers in their throne room, meant that I never had the time nor desire to have my own room. Here among the Cullens, however, I was having second thoughts.</p><p>I was used to watching over my former masters. Now I was the one being watched around the clock, all through the day and night. It'd be a relief to get away from prying eyes, even if just for a bit.</p><p>Being confined to the living room meant that I was always near the flat screen television, and that made me subject to whatever the Cullens wanted to watch. The first time they gathered to stream a movie together, they were not without their relentless teasing as they considered my presence.</p><p>"Wait, guys, let's not forget about Jane here," Emmett said to his fellow coven members. "We should stick to PG stuff. I don't think Jane can watch anything PG-13 or TV-14."</p><p>If I had Felix's immense strength, I would have punched the Cullen brute right in the face. "I was turned at fifteen."</p><p>"So nothing R-rated." Rosalie shared her mate's amusement and she pretended to frown with disappointment. "Guess we can't watch the new It."</p><p>The screen showed a preview of the movie mentioned, and the look I gave her could wither succulent plants. "I've seen countless vampires dismembered and burned. I'm sure that I can handle a movie about a killer clown."</p><p>The magnitude of my experience in personally overseeing a thousand year's worth of vampire executions, and my desire to have Rosalie crumple to the floor, was nullified by the shield's focus on me. Under her, I was no threat. To the Cullens, I was a mere girl second only to the hybrid child in smallness.</p><p>"Let's watch It, then," Alice said, and she tossed a couch pillow at me. "Here you go, for you to hide behind at the scary parts."</p><p>The pillow hit me squarely in the midriff. It bounced off of me and onto the floor as I made no move to catch it. A snicker slipped through Jasper's mouth as he wrapped an arm around Alice. Emmett and Rosalie sat back with shit-eating grins wide across their faces. Again, the shield kept me from wanting to burn holes through the Cullens who poked fun at me. No one in the Volturi would have the nerve to do that. They respected and feared me too much.</p><p>"Don't provoke Jane, please," came Esme's reply from her room. I guessed that she wasn't into horror movies. "Let's treat our guest with courtesy."</p><p>"Sorry, Mom," Emmett called to her, but he didn't apologize to me.</p><p>"She can do way worse to us, if she could," Alice muttered, though no one paid any heed to me once the movie started. They had the privilege of doing that with the shield around.</p><p>Other than the movie or show nights, and taking turns with guard duty, the Cullens had no reason to linger in the living room with me. Esme, the matriarch of the coven, tried to show the most hospitality.</p><p>"Would you like a change of clothes?" she asked. "Alice is closest to your size. She has plenty of nice clothes from her wardrobe, but if even those are too big for you, I don't mind going shopping for new ones."</p><p>I folded my arms across my chest, gripping the crooks of my sleeves. "This coat suits me just fine," I said curtly. Esme had the sense not to bother me about it anymore after asking the first time.</p><p>Being among the most powerful in the Volturi meant that I was treated well, and that included wearing fine coats and dresses. The coat I had on was personally gifted to me from Aro. It was made of the finest viscose and each button was embossed with the Volturi crest. I couldn't give it up so easily, even after I had left the Volturi. No article of clothing in the Cullen house came close in finery compared to the coat I wore.</p><p>Carlisle was as hospitable as his mate. He never teased or insulted me, and he never failed to come home providing enough blood for me. Granted, I didn't look forward to forcing down drops of animal blood, and I tasted no improvements a month later, but I had to trust the doctor's word that it would get better over time.</p><p>The hybrid child, Renesmee, regarded me with great curiosity, though her parents would not let her interact with me. She would be the sole occupant of the dining table during human mealtimes, eating and drinking like a human. I supposed her parents wanted her to have the closest thing to a human life as much as possible. She and I would sneak the occasional glance at each other from the dining table and the living room, respectively. Watching her eat and drink things besides blood reminded me that I haven't had anything of the sort in at least a thousand years.</p><p>Back in England, just a few years after the invading Vikings set foot on our shores, my mother had made bread and porridge for me and Alec. I could remember what she had made, but I couldn't remember what that food tasted like. I remembered that I had liked it, though.</p><p>Sometimes the shield cooked for her daughter, and would sit beside her without touching the food that no longer satisfied her blood-craving palate. "Did I make it right?" she would ask the child. "I still remember how to make that taste good, I think."</p><p>The child rewarded her with a smile and a thumbs up every time.</p><p>That reminded me of my own mother hovering over me, making sure that Alec and I had enough to eat, especially during the harsh winters that gripped our little English village. Remembering that made me unable to bear looking at the shield and her daughter much longer. I had to look away and try focusing my thoughts on something else.</p><p>The routine of staying away from me besides obligation was broken on one rainy afternoon, as Edward meandered to the couch across from me. He was talking to someone on the phone.</p><p>"Sorry," he said into it, "I didn't take Latin when I was in high school. I don't think anyone else in the house has, either." With reluctance he went on, "I think I may know someone who can help you, though." He angled the phone away from his ear and diverted his attention to me. "Jane, do you know Latin by any chance?"</p><p>Strange question. "I would say I'm comfortably proficient in it, enough to read all the texts back in the castle library. Why?"</p><p>Edward responded by switching on the speaker in his phone, which showed the name of none other than my blood singer as the one on the other end.</p><p>"You know Latin? Great!" The boy's voice was full of joy and relief. "I'm taking AP Latin this year and it's hard as hell. I need a tutor-a remote tutor, obviously-to help me survive this class. I was wondering if you'd be up to it, Jane."</p><p>I glanced up at Edward, then I shrugged. "I don't have anything better to do." Perhaps this show of altruism and good behavior would help me earn the Cullens' trust.</p><p>"Awesome," Seth said. "I was thinking we could set up meetings on Zoom or something."</p><p>I quirked an eyebrow. "What is Zoom?"</p><p>"A platform for video chat," Edward replied. "It's how people around the world are staying connected. I'm not sure if using Zoom is a good idea, though." He shot me a wary look. "Can your gift work over something like a computer screen?"</p><p>"I've tried it before on live security camera footage in the Volturi castle," I admitted. "It only works in-person."</p><p>"I don't see why we can't use Zoom, then," Seth said.</p><p>And that was how I became a tutor in Latin for a wolf boy attending high school online. It sounded utterly ridiculous in my head, and would sound even more ridiculous if I said that out loud. Well, this was a strange year, and I supposed that a strange year called for desperate times.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>Kind of weird that the vampire I was supposed to stay away from would help me with school. Then again, this whole year had been weird.</p><p>Sunday night was the time we agreed on for Zoom meetings. Any time worked for Jane, but school made me less flexible. That made me kind of jealous of her. All that little vampire had to do was stay at home and be on her best behavior with the Cullens. I wondered if she ever went to school. I mean, she must have killed high school Latin to be good at it, right?</p><p>It took a few minutes for Jane to join the meeting room I was hosting. As her face blinked into view, my breath hitched in my throat. She was even cuter up close. My cheeks warmed and I almost switched off my video, so she wouldn't see how red my face would be. Would she hear my racing heart even across computer screens? I hoped not.</p><p>Thanks to the beauty of technology and social distancing, we could meet safely. I didn't have to worry about her agony beam power, and she didn't have to be tempted by the scent of my blood. Win-win. I'd been to the Cullen house often enough to figure out that she was hanging out in the living room.</p><p>"Sorry for the delay," Edward said from offscreen. "Jane never used Zoom before, so I had to show her how."</p><p>"Not a problem," I replied into my headset. "Thanks for showing up. Whose computer are you using?"</p><p>"This is Esme's. She's on furlough since the pandemic, so she hasn't been using this laptop since she isn't working."</p><p>"Oh, okay. Tell her I said hi." Esme was like a second mom to me. I would never forget how sweet and thoughtful she had been to me, Leah, and Jake when we broke away from Sam's pack to protect Bella. She didn't have to wash our clothes and make sandwiches, but she went out of her way to take care of us. I especially appreciated the sandwiches, since a vampire wouldn't really know how to make them. Vampires definitely couldn't eat sandwiches. Esme never saw me as a guard dog, but as a person. To me, it was only right that I saw her as more than a bloodsucker and a monster.</p><p>Jane cut through the pleasantries and got straight to the point. "What about Latin do you have trouble with?"</p><p>I made a little helpless gesture with my hand. "All of it, really. I thought it'd be a piece of cake after I aced Spanish 1 and 2, but Latin's been kicking me in the ass."</p><p>"That really narrows things down," she said dryly.</p><p>"How about I'll just show you where I'm at so far." I put up the PDF of my textbook and homework through screen sharing. "I'm having trouble getting a lot of this."</p><p>She leaned in and scanned the screen in just seconds before she declared, "This is quite doable. Very basic."</p><p>She didn't have to be this snooty. "Can you walk through it with me?"</p><p>Jane went on to read and translate my homework with smoothness and clarity my classmates and I definitely didn't have. Even my teacher didn't read that well, or translate that quickly.</p><p>"How are you this good?" I had to ask. "You must've gone to one of those fancy Christian charter schools. You know, the ones that teach Latin to elementary school kids."</p><p>"I did nothing of the sort. I was self-taught."</p><p>"What? Really?"</p><p>"There's a saying about putting in 10,000 hours to become an expert in something, isn't there? Putting in a couple of centuries does the trick just as well."</p><p>"A couple of-?" I scratched my head. "Wait, how old are you?"</p><p>Jane wrinkled her nose. "It's rude to ask a lady her true age. Well, if you must know, I was born around 800 AD."</p><p>As I did the math in my head, I almost fell out of my chair. "You're 1200 years old? Holy shit, no way."</p><p>That made her even older than Carlisle. That made her both the oldest and youngest vampire I knew. Youngest-looking, anyway.</p><p>I fumbled with the knick-knacks on my desk and tried to save face. "Y-You look <em>really</em> good for 1200 years old."</p><p>Jane just stared back at me without blinking, with the liveliness of a marble statue.</p><p>"Who you talkin' to?"</p><p>I slammed the laptop shut and whirled in my chair to face Leah. "Er, just a study buddy. Real camera-shy study buddy." Grabbing at an excuse, I vaguely gestured to my face. "She has, like, um, a huge red pimple on her nose. She doesn't want anyone else to see it."</p><p>Leah blinked and raised her eyebrows. "Uh, okay. Just wanted to let you know that dinner's ready."</p><p>"Be right there."</p><p>Leah left my room as quickly as she had come in. I cracked open the laptop to reveal a disgruntled Jane glowering at me.</p><p>"Did you just tell someone that I had a huge red pimple on my nose?"</p><p>I shrugged meekly. "Sorry. Couldn't come up with anything better. That someone is my big sister, by the way." I leaned into the mic in my laptop to whisper, in case Leah might still be in earshot. "Look, better for you and me that she doesn't know I'm getting Latin help from the vamp who's got the hots for my blood."</p><p>"Fair. I already have enough wolves and vampires threatening to put my head on a stake if I do anything to you." Jane sounded more annoyed than terrified for her long undead life.</p><p>"Sorry to cut this short, but I gotta eat," I said. "Talk to you next Sunday."</p><p>Probably not the best idea to mention eating around someone like her. Jane left the Zoom meeting, then I pulled off my headset and put my laptop on sleep mode. My mouth watered and my stomach growled as I followed the aroma of Mom's cooking coming from the kitchen.</p><p>I was still mind-boggled by Jane's real age. I think I liked hanging out with vampires because most of them have lived for so long, which means they've seen all sorts of things and have lots of stories to tell. That time when Carlisle's buddies shared war stories over the campfire? That was freakin' awesome. It was like hearing a history textbook come alive, because those vampires didn't just know about the wars. They've <em>lived</em> them. Story time with the vamps reminded me so much of sitting at the tribal elders' feet to hear the stories of my people, of the wolf spirit living in my blood. I wondered what kind of things Jane had seen in the past one thousand years. Would she even open up to tell me?</p><p>I doubt it. She would probably kill me and suck up my blood if she had the chance.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Alec</strong>
</p><p>Jane being sent off to infiltrate the Olympic coven marked the first time that she embarked on a mission without me. Over the past thousand or so years that we have served in the Volturi, we always went together, felling offending vampires left and right side by side. Our greatest achievement was decimating the Romanian coven, letting the Volturi rise to the top.</p><p>Jane and I operated like two sides of the same coin, like opposite ends of a scale to keep the vampire world in balance. She would set it on fire while I would cover it in numbness. Now it felt strange to remain in the castle and guard our masters without her.</p><p>As I stood near the thrones, still and expressionless with hands clasped behind my back, it was clear that I wasn't the only one having Jane occupy my thoughts.</p><p>"You've always been so fond of her, brother," Aro said to Caius. "Your show of doubt in her capability surprised me. Why does the incident upset you so?"</p><p>"It's because I expected it least of all from her that upsets me." Caius drummed his fingers on the armrest in a clear show of irritation. He was like a father disappointed in his daughter, his favorite child. "She had never hesitated to throw plenty of immortal children into the fire."</p><p>"She certainly took after you in having some fun in the process," Aro remarked with a fluttering chuckle.</p><p>Caius scowled. "She had no qualms about it before. What possessed her to do otherwise?"</p><p>As her brother, I knew the answer, but it wasn't my place to speak up.</p><p>I remembered the incident last month like it was yesterday. The pandemic had inflicted a heavy blow on Italy, and it was only natural that whatever put a dent in the human population would take a great toll on us vampires as well.</p><p>Tourism plunged like a rock off a cliff. The locals were ordered to shut themselves inside their homes. This forced the Volturi to bend the rules and find other ways to get food. Jane and I had to go out hunting for the first time.</p><p>We were not without protection, of course. Felix and Demetri accompanied us outside the city to be on the prowl for straggling humans, for those who didn't have the sense to quarantine and obey the curfew. We left the castle at night, so that our dark robes made us seamless with the shadows.</p><p>"Remember to make as little of a scene as possible," Demetri reminded us as we wove through the narrow allies. "We'll hunt with you to show you how it's done, and after that you can hunt on your own."</p><p>"I like to snap their necks before I drink," Felix added helpfully. He slid a finger across his throat. "Cuts off their screams just like that, you know."</p><p>In an unusual shift of hierarchy, Jane and I let Felix and Demetri take the lead in the hunt.</p><p>"Oh, and don't worry about alerting the police," Demetri said with a wink. "They're being paid a hefty amount to look the other way."</p><p>Soon we spotted some humans huddled under a bridge.</p><p>"Looks like a family of five," Felix said in a low voice.</p><p>An old man, a man and woman, two adolescents around my age and Jane's. Dirty clothes, matted hair, a downcast look in their eyes—must be homeless. Even if they wanted to follow government rules, they had nowhere to go. Perhaps someone else would feel pity for them. As for me, I only saw them as food. I gave a sideway glance to Jane, who eyed the humans like a lioness stalking a herd of gazelles.</p><p>I reached out a hand to let my sense-numbing mist creep toward the family. It snuck up on them like a smoky snake. They stopped shivering from the cold and simply sat there as my mist took of a hold of them in its coils.</p><p>"Smart, Alec," Felix said with a smirk. "Makes hunting so much easier."</p><p>Without further ado, we pounced. Demetri claimed the old man and Felix took the couple, leaving Jane and me with the boy and the girl. I followed Felix's advice about snapping the neck. The boy's windpipe was crushed under my hands, like a plastic bottle, before he could let out a scream. Homeless humans were deficient in nutrients and proper care, so their blood wasn't as satisfying as the blood of plump, wealthy tourists. I've certainly been spoiled by the usual diet of tourists who, thanks to Heidi, served themselves up for our feeding pleasure. But in this trying time, we couldn't be too picky.</p><p>"Huh, I stand corrected," Felix said. "Looks like we have a family of <em>six</em>." As he let the woman's limp, drained body crumple to the ground, he held aloft a baby she'd been clutching. It dangled and squirmed in his fist by its foot. "Here, Jane, for you." He tossed it over to her, and she dropped the girl she'd been feeding from to catch the baby. "Or maybe Alec wants it too?" He shrugged. "You two sort it out."</p><p>Jane and I exchanged a glance. Back when the Volturi lured in tourists, infants were never included as part of the meal. "You can have it, sister," I said. I didn't think that I could get a decent drink from something that small. Perhaps that was why we had that rule. Babies were hardly worth anything.</p><p>Jane flashed me a rare smile of gratitude.</p><p>"I'm still thirsty," Demetri complained. "I'm going on ahead to see if we can hunt for more."</p><p>Felix turned over the man's body with his boot. "We should hide these before we go."</p><p>"I'll take care of that," Jane offered. "You all go on without me. I'll catch up with you later."</p><p>No one questioned her. It wouldn't be wise to do so. Her offer sounded more like a command that shouldn't be opposed. Felix and Demetri darted up and over the bridge, while I lingered to look at her over my shoulder.</p><p>"Are you sure that you can bury all those bodies by yourself?" I asked her. "Do you need help?"</p><p>"I'll be fine," she insisted. She had never used her gift on me before. The only other people in the world who had that luxury were our three masters. Still, there was something in her gaze, something besides the bright redness of recent feeding, that told me she wanted to be left alone.</p><p>I leapt nimbly up the rocky ledge to land on the bridge. Instead of taking off with Felix and Demetri, I remained on the bridge, frozen with indecision. It wasn't like Jane to volunteer getting her hands dirty. My sister was behaving strangely. I wanted to know why. My appetite was nowhere as voracious as Felix's and Demetri's, and curiosity overwhelmed my choice to continue the hunt.</p><p>"I'm sorry," I muttered, then I opened up my hand to have mist creep down the bridge. I jumped back down to where Jane still stood among the dead family, just in time for the mist to cut off her knowledge of my presence.</p><p>"Shh, shh," she murmured to the wailing baby in her arms. She shifted the baby so that she had one arm holding its bottom and the other across its chest. She subdued it into a soft fussing as she bounced it up and down with gentleness I hadn't seen from her in centuries.</p><p>As the baby was moved in Jane's arms to face out, to face me, I was hit by two things. Awe. Understanding. The baby was a boy with brown hair and green eyes, with a helpless little face that took me back to hazy memories of my human life. This baby must have done the same for Jane.</p><p>Once the baby quieted down, she turned away, pulled the hood over her head, and left with him cradled in her arms. I followed, still using my mist to cloak myself from her awareness. I almost had to run to keep up with her brisk stride. On occasion she glanced from side to side, as if checking to see if she was being followed. She wasn't aware of me right behind her.</p><p>Jane stopped before a building that, at first glance, didn't look different from the rest in Volterra. That is, until I noticed a cross overhead. It gleamed dimly in the sliver of moonlight. A convent. Jane set the baby on the doorstep. She watched him sleeping for a few moments. Looked like she wanted to tell him something, but thought twice. Then she squared her shoulders and turned her back to the convent. She brushed right past me and took three steps before I chose to pull my mist away from her.</p><p>Just as I did that, she spun around with surprise wide in her eyes.</p><p>"Alec-!"</p><p>I clasped her hand before she could go on. "Don't worry," I quietly assured her. "I won't tell anyone."</p><p>She pulled her hand away from mine. "How much of that did you see?"</p><p>"All of it." I directed my guilt to the cobblestone at our feet. "I had to know. I'm sorry."</p><p>Jane shoved her hands into the folds of her robes. "I...I...couldn't..." She struggled for an explanation that I didn't need.</p><p>"That baby boy looks just like <em>him</em>, doesn't he?"</p><p>"...You haven't forgotten?"</p><p>I gave her a small smile. "How could I forget my nephew?"</p><p>My sister was someone who kept any emotions besides rage and savage pleasure locked up tightly behind a wall. This time she made no effort to hide the gratitude for me as she returned my smile. All these years and she still hadn't forgotten what it was like to be a mother. I supposed that I hadn't forgotten being an uncle.</p><p>Jane let me return to walking by her side.</p><p>"My offer to help you bury the bodies still stands," I said.</p><p>"I'll take it, then."</p><p>We cleaned up after our mess that night, and we said nothing more of the incident since.</p><p>My gift was born out of blocking out pain from the fire that could have killed me. I'd been treating my nephew the same way. He reminded me of how I had failed to protect my sister.</p><p>On the day that he was made, Jane was fourteen going on fifteen in two months, picking flowers in the forest for our mother. I had run on ahead to play, leaving her alone to be attacked by the village boys. One of them—I still didn't know to this day exactly who—made himself the father of my nephew. I remembered running back as fast as I could to reach Jane, only to find that I was too late. I found her curled up on the forest floor, weeping, with dirt in her hair and blood between her legs. I had set out later that day to finish off those boys myself, to make them "disappear." If vampires could have nightmares, finding my bloodied, crying sister would have been my nightmare. Somehow Jane had loved that baby boy since he was born, and during those five brief months we've had him in our home. She had told me before many times that she never blamed me for that terrible day.</p><p>Still. It seemed that the only thing I was good for was trying to block out things I would rather forget.</p><p>I had sworn in our first life that I would protect my sister and never leave her side. I'd been doing my best to keep that promise in our next life. If I had to be completely honest, I didn't like that Jane had to take on this undercover mission. I wanted to be there with her, but I was ordered otherwise.</p><p>Aro turned slightly in his throne. "Alec, you look troubled. You've been with us long enough for me to tell." He addressed me as a way of invitation to admit my thoughts.</p><p>My hands, still behind my back, tightened over each other. "I am worried about my sister, Master."</p><p>Aro's voice remained gentle. "That's understandable. What we have planned for Jane is unprecedented. She is in enemy territory alone and powerless." His smile introduced papery creases to his ancient face. "But fear not, my dear Alec. I am confident that even outside Chelsea's influence, Jane's loyalty to the Volturi will be unbreakable. She will return to us in triumph, and with the persons of interest in hand."</p><p>I nodded and said nothing more, comforted somewhat by Aro's confidence. I stopped believing in God a long time ago. I stopped believing on the day that he let my sister suffer under the hands of those village boys. I was even more sure that he didn't exist when he couldn't save me and Jane from burning at the stake. Despite that, I couldn't help praying that my sister would return not only successfully, but safely.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As you've likely noticed, Jane being assaulted and having a child as a result in her human life isn't canon. It's a headcanon of mine that I'm weaving into her established backstory, and will be exploring throughout this fic.</p><p>Where did this headcanon come from? Under the clip of immortal children on Youtube, someone said in the comment section that "Jane had some motherly qualities just by the way she held the child" (until she yeeted him into the fire, anyway). My writer brain took off with that. Like, really took off. I am going somewhere with this; I got the whole fic outlined. I hope that this aspect of Jane isn't too much of a stretch. If you still want to follow along and keep reading this fic, awesome. Really appreciate it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>The tutoring sessions I had with Latin Wolf Boy actually served as a kind of reprieve from having to put up with teasing from the younger Cullens. He had the enthusiasm and eagerness of...well, a puppy. He took his Latin lessons with me seriously, absorbing my advice and even blunt criticism. He would only look away from the screen to scribble down notes, but otherwise his gaze was riveted on me, his eyes bright and wide with a sincere desire to learn and improve.</p><p>Sometimes the lessons wore him down, however, especially over the toughest parts of his homework. "Once this class is over, what am I gonna need Latin for?" he asked. "No one speaks it anymore. Except in church, maybe." He rested his chin on his palms, looking drained from what he called "Zoom burnout." "It's hard to put in the time and energy into something I'm probably not gonna use anymore."</p><p>"I believe you're struggling with Latin because you think of it as a dead language," I told him. "If you ask me, I don't like that term. Latin is alive in a different way, living on as the foundation and roots of other languages that we use today, such as English, Italian, Spanish, and so on."</p><p>"Alive in a different way..." He straightened in his chair and cracked a smile. "So Latin is like the vampire of languages?"</p><p>I shrugged. "If you want to think of it like that."</p><p>"Thanks a lot for your help so far. If I ace the class and the AP exam, I can get college credit and it'll make me look really good for admissions."</p><p>He was actually making good progress, no longer needing me to translate every word and essentially doing the homework for him. He improved to the point of only needing me to double check his work and review for quizzes. I decided, however, that I would see this through with him to the last day of class, and whenever was the date of this so-called AP exam. Serving in the Volturi taught me to never leave loose ends untied, and to see things through to the end.</p><p>As soon as I ended the online meeting with him, Alice confronted me once more in the living room.</p><p>"I can't see your future anymore," she declared. "What did you do?"</p><p>The coven members nearby converged around her, and I bristled under her accusation. "There isn't much I <em>can</em> do around here, besides being held captive in this living room."</p><p>"That's not all," Edward said. "You've also been helping Seth with school."</p><p>"True," I conceded. "I might as well help him through the whole thing." And with a patronizing note, I added, "Make sure the little puppy doesn't fail."</p><p>Alice stiffened. "Your future was blurred out as soon as you made that decision. I can't have visions when shapeshifters like Seth are involved."</p><p>The fortune teller really didn't like having her sight taken away. Wariness and discomfort radiated off of her in waves. I couldn't help feeling a twinge of satisfaction at that.</p><p>Edward turned to Alice with a knitted brow. "It's my fault. I was the one who suggested that Seth gets help from Jane with his Latin homework. I just thought that she would help him for a few weeks, nothing more."</p><p>I leaned back in the sofa I'd been lounging in, as if to lean away from the stifling tension pressing against me. "Like I said, I don't have anything better to do around here. What's the harm in committing to help someone with schoolwork? It's not like we've been meeting in-person. And I could be doing much worse things."</p><p>This didn't reassure Alice. "As it is, your future is intertwined with Seth's. I don't know what's going to happen next to you both. The uncertainty of it all concerns me."</p><p>Edward widened his apology to the rest of his family. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. I didn't want to worry you all unnecessarily, but now that we're on the topic, I have no choice but to bring it up. Seth is Jane's blood singer."</p><p>That made the Cullens still as statues for a moment. That instant would be imperceptible to a human, but for me, I could see how worry and concern spiked off of them.</p><p>Rosalie was the first one to speak up. "What we should do with Jane is obvious, isn't it? We should make her cut off contact with Seth. Have someone else tutor him. Nothing good will come out of those two getting more involved with each other."</p><p>"I have to agree with Rosalie," Alice said. "Even without my visions, good old-fashioned intuition has rarely failed me, and it's telling me right now that putting Seth and Jane together in any way will be nothing but trouble."</p><p>I folded my arms across my chest. "I assure you that causing trouble is the last thing I want. You may not be able to see my future, but you can still read my thoughts." I glanced up at Edward. "You've been around during these tutoring sessions. You know that I have no intentions of sneaking out under your noses to get my hands on the wolf boy's blood."</p><p>"She's telling the truth," Edward admitted to the rest of the coven.</p><p>"Besides, I am the best available teacher for him." A corner of my mouth tugged upward. "Not that I'm bragging. That came straight from Latin Wolf Boy himself. No one else has been able to help him with his schoolwork as much as I have."</p><p>"I think that's very nice of you to help Seth with school," Esme said.</p><p>I was so used to receiving praise for the terrifying power I possessed. Not how nice I was. I deflected her remark by directing my gaze to the carpet and muttering, "Like I said, I've got nothing better to do."</p><p>Carlisle had been quiet, letting the younger coven members express their concerns, then he offered his opinion. "If Edward is monitoring Jane's thoughts, and she's keeping a safe distance from Seth, I don't see immediate danger in the meeting arrangement they have."</p><p>Alice ran fingers through her short, dark hair and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, as if feeling the onset of a migraine. "I still don't really like this, but maybe I'm looking too far into a future I can't see. If you think there's no <em>immediate</em> danger, then maybe I shouldn't worry so much."</p><p>The discussion ended as I got up to drink my weekly dose of Carlisle's prescribed "medicine." Nowadays he mixed more animal blood into my drink. Today he introduced deer blood. It was still disgusting and hard to swallow, but each time I mentally braced myself for the tide of bad taste and that made the ordeal a bit more bearable.</p><p>The discussion may have ended, but the suspicion among some of the Cullens hadn't. Emmett insisted on patrolling the area for any Volturi vampires lurking around. Jasper and Rosalie were more than happy to assist him.</p><p>"They're not going to find anyone out there," I said in full confidence to Edward and the shield, who stayed behind to keep their eye on me. "This patrol of theirs is a waste of time."</p><p>"We can't be too careful," the shield said. "I still can't wrap my head around the fact that Aro let you leave the Volturi in one piece."</p><p>"Why not? Carlisle had done the same thing, and look where he is now." I plucked off the Rubik's cube that'd been perched on the coffee table for decoration and I fiddled with it. "You may have heard all sorts of rumors about the Volturi, but it is possible to leave the coven. There is one other I know who had left. A vampire from Spain. Eleazar, isn't it?"</p><p>Edward nodded. "He's doing well with the coven in Denali."</p><p>"You mentioned earlier that Aro had found someone stronger than you," the shield said.</p><p>"After a thousand or so years of my service, yes. Aro is the world's most dedicated collector, always on the hunt to add gifted vampires to the Volturi. My brother and I were among his greatest finds. We've been a part of his collection for quite some time. Until now, anyway. Aro found someone to replace me, yet he respects me enough to let me leave."</p><p>A less gifted vampire didn't have that privilege. Demetri was older than me and had been with the Volturi longer than I had, but I heard from word of mouth how he had joined. Demetri's superior tracking skills let him replace his predecessor, and that predecessor had the wrong idea about tracking down recruits to start a coven of his own. Aro would not allow any potential threat to the Volturi's power, so that predecessor paid for his ambitions and was neatly disposed of. Demetri was cemented into the ranks as the world's best tracker ever since.</p><p>"Why isn't Alec with you?" the shield asked. "Aren't you two always together?" I caught a glimmer of skepticism in her golden eyes, as if she was at the dinner table and found out that she had to eat with a fork and without a knife. If me without Alec made for an odd sight, I certainly felt odd without him.</p><p>"Aro wouldn't admit it—out of consideration for my feelings, I suppose—but I know as well as anyone in the Volturi that he sees my brother's gift as more valuable. And I have to admit that Alec is more dangerous than I am. So far Aro has not found a replacement for him. That's why only I was dismissed from the Volturi." I completed the red side of the Rubik's cube, so I worked on the white one. "I hope that by proving I could live independently from the Volturi, I could convince my brother to do the same."</p><p>Edward inclined his head. "That's one way to stay motivated."</p><p>The white side of the cube wasn't aligning the way I wanted. Combining my concentration over that with recalling the blood I drank today, I made a face. "It's not easy, I'll tell you that. I've been with the Volturi long enough to feel that it's a big part of me." I paused in the cube twisting to look up at Edward and his mate. "Vampires like you made me curious, though. I wonder what kind of person I could be outside of the Volturi."</p><p>"With a lot of discipline and motivation, you can become a better one, I think," Edward said. "Carlisle thinks you're doing a good job with sticking to the prescribed diet, and I know that you've been a big help to Seth." He was quick to add a warning note to his encouragement. "It's a lot easier to break the rules than to follow them. As a former agent of the Volturi, you would know that better than most. We'll still keep a careful eye over you, and there will be consequences if you slip up."</p><p>"I'm well aware of the consequences," I said smoothly. "I have a lot of experience in dishing them out."</p><p>I caught the scent of the patrolling Cullens before I saw them. Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper came back into the house empty-handed, as expected.</p><p>I couldn't help letting smugness slip into my greeting for them. "I told you that there's no one out there. You're chasing shadows."</p><p>"No one's out there <em>yet</em>." Emmett shrugged off his rain-spattered sweater onto a nearby chair and darted a distrustful glance at me.</p><p>"We should warn the pack in La Push to keep an eye out too," Jasper said.</p><p>"I want to go tell them," Renesmee piped up as she filled in the space between her parents. "I haven't seen Jake in a while."</p><p>Edward clasped her small hand. "I'll come with you. Your mom has to stay here and watch over Jane."</p><p>"I think Jane will be okay." The child glanced at me. "Hasn't she been good lately?"</p><p>I was quick to indulge her as I flashed a smile her way. "I agree with your daughter. I have been on my best behavior."</p><p>"No, I'm staying," the shield insisted. By the look of her stern expression directed at me, she seemed to think that I reserved my smiles only for giving people a taste of my power. She ran a hand through Renesmee's long brown hair. "Sorry, I'll have to see Jake with you another time."</p><p>The girl pouted, but she left with her father without further opposition.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>Since the first Zoom meeting with Jane, I stopped using my laptop on the desk and moved to using it from my bed. Wouldn't want Leah to walk in on me and almost see Jane a second time.</p><p>Even though the computer screen protected me from Jane's power, she still kind of scared me. She never pulled back her punches when it came to correcting my mistakes in translating Latin.</p><p>She would say "no, wrong" with an iciness that would make me flinch. Figuring out word order and tenses tripped me up the most. Whenever I got something right, she'd just say a curt, flat "good," but over the weeks I began to look forward to that tiny sign of approval, hoping that she might say more.</p><p>Thanks to Jane, I had an easier time in class and my grades went up. Exams didn't seem so scary anymore, not even the big AP exam at the end of the year. But with Jane helping me out in Latin, I dug myself into a deeper hole. Now it was impossible to stop thinking about her. That meant I couldn't phase and expose my thoughts to Jake and Leah.</p><p>I really went out of my way to avoid any chance to go wolf. Any time Jake or Leah wanted to patrol the rez borders with me, I'd tell them that I had homework or studying to do. I even asked Mom to pile as many chores on me as possible, even my least favorite one (cleaning the bathrooms).</p><p>"So responsible at home, <em>and</em> doing well in school...that's my boy," Mom would gush.</p><p>Unfortunately that just made Leah more suspicious. She cornered me when we cleaned up after dinner one night, standing side by side over the sink. "I know you're trying to do your best in school and all, and that's awesome, but I hardly see you out of your room. That's not like you."</p><p>"This is the new me," I said as I rinsed the dishes. "You just have to deal with it."</p><p>"Come on, Seth, I thought you loved being a wolf. It's not like you to miss out on so many runs through the rez. Jake's not too happy about that. Besides..." Leah paused in drying the dishes to lean in so Mom wouldn't hear. "Edward and his kid came to visit Jake by the border the other day. They told him that the Volturi might be skulking around. Why won't they leave us alone?"</p><p>That turned out to be a rhetorical question, just to let me know how miffed she was about it, because she already knew the answer. "The Cullens took in someone who dropped out of the Volturi. Are they out of their damn minds? What the hell are they thinking? That's just asking for trouble." With Mom leaving to watch TV in the other room, Leah didn't bother to lower her voice anymore.</p><p>"Yeah, that's crazy," I muttered. Suddenly I wanted to scrub off every speck of food on the plate in my hand, even after it was already clean.</p><p>Leah pulled the dish away from me to dry it. "Even more reason to double the patrols and keep our eyes peeled, don't you think? I know I told you to focus on school, but this time we need your help, Seth. At least until we can be sure that the leech mafia aren't around."</p><p>"I-I'll pass." I turned off the faucet and walked away while shoving my hands into the pockets of my cargo shorts. "There are enough wolves around to take care of the job. The little guys, Collin and Brady, they aren't so little anymore. They can handle their own. You guys don't need me."</p><p>"What's gotten into you?"</p><p>Leah's accusation sailed over the kitchen, the dining room, to hit me like an arrow in the back. Something inside me snapped like the strike of a match. I fought down the flame that would've flared up, and I spun around to glare at Leah.</p><p>"I don't know, maybe because you're being such a hard-ass."</p><p>"Excuse me?" Leah flung down the towel onto the kitchen counter.</p><p>"One day you're telling me to go live a normal life, and the next you're telling me to go wolf. How about you leave me alone and let me do what I want? And what I wanna do right now is study for a test that's <em>tomorrow</em>."</p><p>I really didn't need this crap from her. I was already stressed out from reviewing for the test, and the night before the test always had me worked up. I didn't want Mom to overhear us fighting, so instead of hiding in my room, I flung open the front door to leave the house. I thought I should go on a walk to cool my head.</p><p>I barely took steps off the porch when Jake came sprinting up in just his denim and shoes.</p><p>"Hey, Seth, great timing. I was just about to ask if you wanna—"</p><p>"No I don't want to go patrolling tonight." Just leave me alone, I wanted to scream. Why couldn't anyone understand that?</p><p>The smile on Jake's face instantly flipped to a frown. "What's going on with you, man? Everything okay at home?"</p><p>"No," came Leah's reply from behind. Of course she wouldn't drop a fight once it's picked up. She shut the door I had flung open and planted herself firmly in front of it. "You've been acting weird, Seth, and I don't like it."</p><p>"I have to agree with Leah," Jake said. "Is there something you're not telling us? We're a pack, so you can tell us anything."</p><p>I made no reply to tip them off. With Leah standing by the door and with Jake at the foot of the porch, they had me sandwiched in between them. I broke into a run to free myself from the invisible hold they had on me.</p><p>"You want me to go patrolling? Fine," I shouted over my shoulder. "I can do it myself."</p><p>"Seth, wait!"</p><p>I ignored Jake's shout as I tried to put distance between me and them. Once I reached the edge of the forest, I burst into my wolf form and took off as fast as I could. We used howls for long-distance communication, and as long as I was far enough from others in my pack, they couldn't hear my thoughts. I darted over the rocks and roots with nimble ease. By now I knew our territory well, and I had grown stronger and faster since our fight with the newborn vampire army. I wasn't so wet behind the ears anymore. I might just be able to outrun even Leah.</p><p>There was just one problem. I shouldn't have assumed.</p><p>Leah closed the distance between me and her with frightening speed, despite my best efforts. Still the fastest in the pack. Damn it. I could hear her panting behind me, and she cut off my run as she pounced on me. We tumbled in the dirt and an old, stout oak tree broke our chaotic path. Our crash against it sent several leaves raining down on us.</p><p>She pinned my back against the roots with her paws, and her swearing came out as an explosive snarl. <em>That little leech! I'm gonna tear her apart</em>.</p><p><em>No</em>! I snapped my fangs back at her and thrashed, but her greater weight held me down.</p><p>Even though Leah's growl rumbled above me like thunder, with my keen hearing I heard Jake bounding up to us in his wolf form.</p><p><em>Leah, let him go</em>.</p><p>Jake refused to use the alpha voice, and he still stuck to that principle, yet the firmness in his command made Leah relent. They knew as well as I did that it was no use for me to run away again. Leah would just outrun and catch me a second time.</p><p>I thought that Jake would be the more reasonable one, but as I scrambled to my paws, he was the next to pin me down, only with a heated glare instead of his weight.</p><p><em>What the hell, Seth? Getting homework help from the vamp who wants your blood? Are you kidding me</em>?</p><p>I pulled back my ears as his exclamation blasted into my eardrums. I shook dirt and leaves out of my fur. <em>Look, it's fine, okay? We're just meeting online, and Jane's under Cullen custody. I trust that they can keep her in line, and so should you.</em></p><p>Leah raised her eyes to the forest canopy and groaned. <em>I thought you've been chatting with a secret girlfriend you hooked up with or something. This is worse. So so so much worse.</em></p><p><em>Don't talk to that little bloodsucker anymore.</em> Jake lashed his tail for emphasis. <em>I'm already worried out of my mind for Nessie. Now I have to worry about you too.</em></p><p>I bared my teeth at them.<em>This is why I didn't want to tell you anything.</em></p><p><em>You've never kept secrets from me before, Seth. Why now?</em> Leah's fur stood on end, though her words rang with hurt.</p><p>I was too upset to think of any coherent answer.</p><p><em>Let's patrol while we're all here</em>, Jake said curtly. <em>Let's get it done before dark.</em></p><p>We sprinted after him, though not with silence. Their eyes were no longer on me as we surveyed the area, but Leah's thoughts alternated between "Why?" and "How could he?" while Jake's were full of threats to maim Jane in many creative ways I didn't think were possible.</p><p>It was torture to listen to them. I kept pace with them while gritting my teeth and searching for vampires that weren't here. As the setting sun sank beneath the horizon, Leah and Jake calmed down and their thoughts stopped ringing in my ears like bells. We slowed down to loping as we turned around and headed back for our house. Leah slowed down even more to walk beside me.</p><p><em>I'm sorry I yelled at you</em>, she said.</p><p><em>I'm sorry for not telling you earlier</em>, I replied.</p><p><em>I shouldn't have flipped out like that. If we're going to be a real pack and keep things honest among us, we need to trust each other. You couldn't trust me to keep my cool with whatever was on your mind, and that's my fault</em>.</p><p>I forgave her by brushing my snout against her cheek fur.</p><p>Jake stopped to face us. <em>I'm sorry for flipping out too. I'm just more worried for you than anything, Seth. Leah feels the same way</em>.</p><p><em>You don't need to worry about me</em>, I assured them. <em>I've been careful. I know that Jane is dangerous, but not when the Cullens are keeping an eye on her. Like I said, we need to trust them.</em></p><p>Leah's fangs flashed in the dimming sunlight as she chuckled. <em>You're a sucker for those bloodsuckers.</em></p><p><em>Tell me something I don't know</em>, I teased back. That earned me a light nip in the ear from her.</p><p>We headed back to our house in much better spirits than when we had headed out. Before phasing back to our human forms, Leah and I thought it was best not to bring up the fight with Mom.</p><p>"Well, I can't complain since you went patrolling with us, after all," Leah said. "But Jake and I made you throw your study time out the window. Sorry about that."</p><p>I waved it off. "It's cool. I haven't been procrastinating, so I think I'll be okay for tomorrow."</p><p>Leah pulled me into a hug, and her voice dipped to the softest I heard from her today. "You've been working so hard. I'm proud of you, and Dad would be proud of you, too."</p><p>I threw my arms around her to return the hug, so she wouldn't see how tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. Losing Dad didn't get any easier for the two of us.</p><p>As I stretched out on my bed later that night, waiting for sleep to take over, I wondered about Jane's parents. Were they vampires too, or have they been long dead? Could you still feel the pain of losing someone you loved for a thousand years? I wouldn't envy Jane if she carried that kind of burden. You pay all sorts of prices for immortality. That made me wonder next if Jane chose her immortality or not. Lots of questions without answers. I tried to think of nothing else so I could clear my head for test-taking mode tomorrow.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>"We have a bit of a problem," Carlisle told me and his coven one day.</p><p>The mind-reader was the first to know why. I could tell as he glanced down at me. No surprise that the problem had to do with me.</p><p>"The Denali coven called me last night," Carlisle went on. "They said that they want to come down and see us this weekend. I didn't tell them that Jane's here with us, and I thought it best that they're kept in the dark about her."</p><p>"I agree," I said. I imagined that their wounds must still be fresh from losing one of their own, the false accuser, to Caius during the trial. And if memory served me right, this was the same coven connected to the one who had made an immortal child in Slovakia. They wouldn't be happy to see me, even after I had cut ties to the Volturi. I had personally overseen the demise of their mother and the child.</p><p>"Hair and limbs would be flying if they come and see you here," Rosalie said, and cast a sidelong glance at me as she went on, "And it's not <em>their</em> hair and limbs that would go flying."</p><p>Emmett smirked. "That would be fun to watch."</p><p>"We'll make sure that's not going to happen," Esme said in a reasonable voice.</p><p>"I neither confirmed nor denied that they could visit," Carlisle said. "First I wanted to be sure that we would all be fine with the arrangements if they did come."</p><p>"Ever considerate, as always," Jasper remarked. He gave the doctor a small smile.</p><p>"Why can't you just tell them that they can't come?" I asked.</p><p>"If we did that, they would want to know why, and we would have to tell them," Alice said mildly. "They're like cousins to us. We had never refused them a visit before."</p><p>"It's what you do for family," Emmett said to me. "Not like you would understand."</p><p>I bit back a sharp retort.</p><p>Carlisle gave Emmett the slightest admonishing glance, then he said, "This is what I'm thinking: while the Denali coven visits for the weekend, Jane will be out of the house during that time. It'll be like she was never here."</p><p>"Getting out of the house...I like the sound of that," I said.</p><p>But Carlisle wasn't finished. "Bella would keep an eye on Jane as she has been in the house." He gave her an apologetic look. "If you're okay with that, of course. I know this is asking more from you when you've done a lot already."</p><p>"It's all right, I don't mind," the shield replied, and her face lightened as something dawned on her. "Actually, I was thinking that this weekend would be perfect for hiking and camping at Mount Rainier. Edward and I wanted to bring Renesmee there someday."</p><p>I raised an eyebrow. "And you want to bring me along to your little family trip?"</p><p>"I'd feel better if we kept our eye on you than let you run off to do God knows what," Edward said. "So yes, you'll be taking a hike with us."</p><p>"Splendid," I said with the same amount of life and energy in flattened roadkill.</p><p>"It's settled, then." Carlisle pulled out his phone. "I'll let the Denali coven know that they can come over."</p><p>The Cullens dispersed to tidy up the house for their guests. The hybrid child was beaming with excitement as soon as she heard about a trip to Mount Rainier. "Can we bring Jake with us too?"</p><p>No, let's not bring a stinking wolf with us, I almost said. It was bad enough I had to walk around with the shield stifling my power.</p><p>"Sure, if he has time," the shield said, and Edward bit back an amused grin as he picked up on my souring mood.</p><p>The other wolf boy confirmed over the phone with the shield later that day that not only could he come, he would <em>love</em> to come. Edward didn't look too thrilled at that—probably out of hoping that the getaway would be kept as a family getaway—but out of love for his daughter, I supposed, he said nothing.</p><p>We left for Mount Rainier a day before the Denali coven was expected to arrive, so there would be time to leave no traces of my scent in the Cullen house. We packed into Edward's car to attract less suspicion than if we went on foot. I was forced to sit in the back, in the same row as the child and the other wolf boy (who I will henceforth call Babysitter Wolf Boy, to distinguish him from Latin Wolf Boy).</p><p>Good Lord above, he <em>reeked</em>. Even opening the window on my side of the car at eighty miles an hour didn't help. If it was physically possible for me to vomit from nausea, I would have done that many times over. I was a bundle of misery, to say the least.</p><p>To my irritation and amazement, the child didn't seem to mind having him around at all. She even took a nap by leaning against him. Babysitter Wolf Boy wrapped a protective arm around her, keeping her as far away from me as the back of the car could allow.</p><p>We arrived at the national park and finally got to disembark from the car. At that point I couldn't keep in my ire anymore. "I'm not upset that I can't use my power. I'm more upset about how you can't trust me to keep from using it."</p><p>My confession failed to relax the shield. "Old habits die hard," she said. "You're already not in the best mood. I can't afford to let you harm someone even if you don't mean it."</p><p>I curled up my lip. "I'm not an immortal child. I know self-control."</p><p>Edward, the shield, and Babysitter Wolf Boy ignored me as we began the hike, except to order me to stay in the front so the shield wouldn't lose sight of me. The sky was overcast, as per usual in this area. It turned out that Edward was familiar with the off-trail terrain of Mount Rainier, and we took those paths to minimize contact with human hikers. In the dense forest undergrowth, Babysitter Wolf Boy was free to walk around in his four-legged form, so Renesmee could ride on his back. As for me, I was hit with an even bigger wave of his stink.</p><p>While Edward led the way, the shield made herself the furthest behind so she could keep an eye on all of us, most of all on me. I was forced to trudge through the forest alongside the wolf, and it took everything I had not to cover my nose with my mouth. This was certainly not what I had in mind when I thought about being able to leave the house.</p><p>I kept my sullen silence while the rest struck up inane chatter about the scenery, the weather, and the occasional wildlife ducking in and out of our sight.</p><p>"Have you been to Mount Rainier before, Jane?" the child suddenly asked me.</p><p>I glanced up to where she sat comfortably on Babysitter Wolf. I could sense the wariness from her parents, but no one scolded her for talking to me, so I supposed I wouldn't get a tongue lashing for replying, either.</p><p>"No, this is my first time here," I said. "But I've been to many other mountains. Most recently I had been to Mount Fuji, but that was fifty years ago."</p><p>The child's eyes went wide. "Wow, really? What were you doing there?"</p><p>"Well, vampires like to hide up in the mountains, especially when they know they've misbehaved. Back when I was still part of the Volturi, I was sent to Japan with my brother to—"</p><p>"That's a story for another time," Edward cut in. "She doesn't need to hear the rest."</p><p>I narrowed my eyes, forcing myself to refrain from getting to the good part. "Anyway, I've also been to Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, Mount Kilimanjaro, even Mount Everest..." I tried to keep my statements appropriate, adding to the inane chatter as I told the child about what I remembered seeing on those mountains besides vampires I had to hunt down. She kept wanting me to talk about the mountain goats. She had seen them on a nature documentary once, she told me, and had since been fascinated with their rock-climbing derring-do.</p><p>Renesmee regarded me with awe. "You've been everywhere, Jane. I want to go traveling all around the world like you when I'm older."</p><p>"Until then, you'll stay here safe and sound with me and your mom." Edward's remark was half joke, half warning.</p><p>We spent our first night at the base of the mountain. The girl quickly fell asleep, leaving Babysitter Wolf to stand guard by the tent that sheltered her. Edward, the shield, and I sat in rigid, frosty silence under the moonlight. No one struck up small talk with me, for which I was grateful.</p><p>We resumed our hike when the child woke up the next morning, but our trek up the rocky terrain was rudely interrupted as the wind blindsided us with the scent of fresh human blood. Edward was the fastest to react, clamping a hand on my shoulder to restrain me. Renesmee crouched lower on the wolf and clutched at his russet brown fur.</p><p>With her newborn nose, the shield assessed the situation. "A hiker ahead of us tripped on a boulder and cut open something—his hand, arm, or leg, whatever's exposed."</p><p>"Clumsy idiot," I hissed.</p><p>Babysitter Wolf swiveled his head and peeled back his lip to show me his fangs.</p><p>"How far away is he?" Edward asked.</p><p>"Forty meters, more or less," the shield replied.</p><p>"I have the best control," Edward said in a strained voice. "I'll go help him. Everyone else wait here and until we're clear."</p><p>No one objected as he relinquished his grip on me to sprint ahead. The shield immediately took over having a tight hold on me. Given my small frame, I wasn't hard to hold down. I was not due for another dose of Carlisle's cup of mixed blood anytime soon, so thirst didn't burn in my throat. Still, the scent of live prey was hard to resist. I didn't struggle against the shield, and my only expression of exerting control was clamping a hand over the bottom half of my face and gritting my teeth. Despite that, the shield didn't let up on her grip. I tried to think of anything else besides that tantalizing scent.</p><p>"Jane, I think it would help if you get closer to Jacob." The child sounded so innocent in her attempt to help me. I had to admit it was kind of cute, but her suggestion repulsed me more than anything else.</p><p>Babysitter Wolf shared my displeasure as he glared at me and the hairs on the nape of his neck stood on end.</p><p>"His smell would be strong enough mask the hiker's scent," the child went on.</p><p>"So you're saying that his stink would be enough to ruin my appetite," I said between my fingers.</p><p>She frowned. "Well, I wouldn't put it like that..."</p><p>"Renesmee actually has a good idea," the shield said. Like a police officer handling someone arrested, she pushed me closer to the wolf so that we almost touched. "Stick your nose into Jacob's coat if you have to."</p><p>"I will do no such thing," I snapped.</p><p>Babysitter Wolf made a disagreeable snort.</p><p>The shield directed her gaze to where the source of blood must be. "That hiker's still bleeding. Smells like he's got a pretty big cut." Her voice grew firm. "Until Edward helps him stop the bleeding, you need to do what my daughter says, Jane."</p><p>I wanted to ground my teeth and snarl. A hand over my nose wasn't doing anything to stop the wind from blowing the scent right into me. "What a load of bollocks," I muttered, and proceeded to plant my face right into the wolf's coat.</p><p>I could feel his growl of disgust rumble from throat to tail, but he didn't recoil away from me. I forced myself to fill my lungs with wolf musk. It overpowered the allure of the hiker's blood. Turned out that the child was talking sense, after all. I counted four slow, deep breaths into the furry patch that enveloped my face until the shield pulled me away.</p><p>"We're clear," she declared. "No more bleeding."</p><p>Edward sprinted back to us moments later, with much more grace than the hiker must've had. "He cut his right forearm," he reported to us. "I cleaned the wound and patched it up for him with gauze. I learned that from Carlisle."</p><p>"Can we be on our way now?" I asked crossly.</p><p>When he looked at me, he bit down on his lower lip. Clearly he was trying to contain a laugh. "Is that wolf hair sticking to your face?"</p><p>I spat on the rocks in front of me. "Your daughter just made me do the most humiliating thing in my life," I said through gritted teeth.</p><p>Unlike Edward, the shield and the child didn't bother to contain their mirth. "You should've seen it, Dad," Renesmee said between giggles. "It actually helped Jane get over the hiker's scent."</p><p>"It was Renesmee's idea to begin with," said the shield, and affectionally ruffled her daughter's head. "She's so smart."</p><p>Babysitter Wolf conveyed the same pride through his gaze directed up at the child.</p><p>All that familial sweetness made me want to gag. "Can we get going?" I asked again, this time with more force. "I get it, you're very proud parents. I'm sure you have plenty of time to discuss it on the way up."</p><p>Our hike continued without incident. Even splashes of cold mountain water into my face didn't completely rid me of the wolf stink. It was powerful stuff. Babysitter Wolf Boy proved to be of some use by coming along, after all. Mount Rainier was much less tall and steep than the mountains I had been to, but the child's desire to take it easy and go sightseeing slowed our pace.</p><p>We were heading back down on Sunday morning. The Denali coven were supposed to leave in the evening, according to Esme over the phone with Edward. Latin Wolf Boy called in the late afternoon.</p><p>"Hey Edward," he said, "I was trying to get in touch with Jane, but I couldn't reach her. Is she with you? Are you guys out of town or something?"</p><p>"Sort of," Edward replied. "We're hiking on Mount Rainier."</p><p>Hearing Latin Wolf Boy's voice reminded me that I had forgotten our little online meetings. I didn't have a computer around to help him this time, nor did I have my own phone to let him know that I couldn't be available. For some reason I felt a twinge of guilt. I was annoyed with myself for that reaction. Surely he could do with missing one session.</p><p>"Guess I'll get back in touch next week." The disappointment was apparent in his reply.</p><p>Then, like a bolt of lightning, I was struck with an idea so absurd that it amazed me that I had thought of it at all. Oh well. I spoke my mind to take my shot.</p><p>Of course Edward and the shield said no, while Babysitter Wolf undoubtedly snarled it. The girl, however, tilted her head thoughtfully. Then she leaned in and whispered into the wolf's ear, and his eyes twinkled at me with such devilish glee that I thought whatever she had said couldn't be good. For me, anyway.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>Jane wanted me to have today's Latin lesson at a church.</p><p>Not just any church, but a Catholic church that held a Tridentine Mass, which was the fancy term for a worship service done entirely in Latin.</p><p>"Think of it like a little over an hour of Latin immersion," I heard her say over the phone. "You won't get it anywhere else."</p><p>"That sounds awesome, actually." Then I frowned. "But that means seeing you in person. How's that gonna fly by Edward and Bella? And Jake's with you too, right? He definitely wouldn't give the green light."</p><p>She surprised me with what she said next: "We can go, but on one condition."</p><p>"And what's that? It really sounds like you don't like it."</p><p>"No, I don't, but I'll put up with it because I have nothing better to do."</p><p>Leah was out of town to visit colleges. Whatever she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. Two hours later, when I snuck out of La Push to meet Edward, Bella, Jake, Renesmee, and Jane at the church called St. Jude, I found out just what that one condition was. It took everything I had not to fall onto the floor laughing.</p><p>A cloth mask covered the lower half of Jane's face, but it wasn't just any old mask. Even out of my wolf form, I could smell Jake's wolf scent slathered all over it.</p><p>"It was the girl's idea," Jane said, and the mask made her resentment come out muffled.</p><p>I imagined little Renesmee rubbing the inside part of the mask up and down Jake's coat, really getting that good ol' wolf musk into it, and either Edward or Bella pulling the mask over Jane's unhappy face. I couldn't control myself anymore. Something between a snort and a guffaw slipped through my mouth.</p><p>Jake, now out of his wolf form, whispered into my ear, "She looked like she was gonna puke when we got the mask on her. It was priceless."</p><p>Everyone else had masks on too, because even though vampires and wolves didn't need them, we didn't want to stick out and look like crazy anti-maskers.</p><p>I tried to give Jane an apologetic smile. "You're going through all this trouble for me. I appreciate it." Oh, right, my mask covered my smile. I realized that too late and felt like a doofus.</p><p>She brushed off my thanks with narrowed eyes. "Let's make this lesson worth it, Latin Wolf Boy."</p><p>Jake didn't want to sit through a service he wouldn't understand, and he wanted to take Renesmee out for a stroll through the town, maybe buy her something from a gift shop. Edward and Bella accompanied me and Jane into the church. We had met up early, so no one was around to overhear our conversation at the entrance.</p><p>The place looked every inch the kind of church I thought a Catholic one would look like: stained glass windows, choir loft in the back, organ at the front, and air heavy with the sharp, cloying tang of incense. The incense must be acting as a second mask to Jane, stifling my scent from her even more. I didn't miss the way she stiffened as the draft from inside hit us upon entering. I wrinkled my nose at it. I didn't quite like the smell either, but I guess I should be grateful for its use.</p><p>Jane and I slid into one of the front pews while Edward and Bella sat two rows behind us. If it weren't for the social distancing rules, they would have been in the pew right behind us. I could feel the intensity of their gazes on me and Jane like laser beams.</p><p>Jane and I didn't sit too close, like we were friends, let alone like a couple. We sat about two arms apart. Still, this was the closest I had ever been to her. She was so small, a little less than five feet in height. I was a whole foot taller. The height difference was in my favor, but remembering Edward's warning about what she could do without Bella around made me shudder.</p><p>Jane didn't look in any position to hurt me, though. She sat still as a statue, with gloved hands folded over her lap. She kept her dark red gaze ahead, looking like she was watching the altar boys shuffling around to get ready for the service. Seemed like she was handling my closeness to her well enough. She continued to make no movement as people began filtering into the church and filling the pews.</p><p>I almost leaned in to whisper to her, though with her vampire hearing I wouldn't need to do that, so I just whispered, "You go to church on Sundays?"</p><p>Way to debunk vampire myth. Vampires supposedly couldn't even step inside a church, but here she was, sitting right in a front pew. I thought that was kind of funny.</p><p>Jane didn't meet my eyes, but she replied with equal quietness, "I stopped believing in God a long time ago. Living in Volterra exposed me to these kinds of things, nothing more."</p><p>Our conversation was cut short as the choir above us rehearsed a hymn. The lift of their voices in unison sent a chill down my spine. Beside me, Jane leaned back slightly with her eyes closed, and even though I couldn't see her lips move, the most angelic voice I had ever heard slipped through her mask. She matched the choir note for note. It wasn't loud enough for the rest of the church to hear, like she had no intention of drawing attention to herself, but I was close enough to stare at her in amazement.</p><p>When the choir stopped singing, Jane fell back into silence. Then she said to me, "<em>That's</em> why I come to churches sometimes."</p><p>"You're an awesome singer," I breathed. "I guess you're self-taught in that too?"</p><p>"You guessed correctly." Despite the mask covering her face, I thought I could hear the little smile that came with her reply.</p><p>I looked around at the parishioners, some of them families with little kids. "They can't <em>all</em> understand Latin, right?" I had a hard time believing that was the case.</p><p>"That's why there are these." Jane pulled out a pair of leaflets from the slot in the pew in front of us. She handed me one. "You can follow along. Think of it like a test to see how much Latin you can understand."</p><p>Finally she broke out of her statue act as we rose to our feet—the signal that meant the service was starting.</p><p>The leaflet Jane gave me had the whole liturgy in writing. Turned out that I only needed it for the cues to sit and stand. I understood most of the Latin recited by the priest. We churchgoers had to recite some Latin too. It was so cool to hear it spoken outside of class. I tried to fight back my giddiness at that. Even though most of the Mass was in Latin, some stuff was still in English, like the readings and the sermon.</p><p>"This church is small enough for me to tell when we get new folks in here," the priest said, and though his sweeping gaze didn't zero in on me, Jane, Edward, and Bella, I knew he was definitely referring to us. "For those new folks who may not know, St. Jude, the one who gave this church its name, is the patron saint of lost causes."</p><p>He went on to say that in the eyes of a forgiving and gracious God, no one is a lost cause. Maybe not even Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus. I wasn't religious, but even I knew that Judas was a pretty bad guy for doing Jesus dirty like that. There was a reason why names like Matthew and Luke and Peter were still floating around, but no one would name their kid Judas.</p><p>"Now you may be surprised when I say that perhaps even Judas isn't a lost cause," the priest said. "Do I know for sure? Do any of us? None of us know for sure, except for God. Does Judas go to hell for betraying Jesus and leading him to his death, or does he get a second chance for the regret he felt afterwards, a regret so strong that he hung himself?" He let the question hang in the incense-heavy air for a few seconds, and he went on, "We can make guesses, but it's not our place to say who goes where in the afterlife. No, God calls us to be as forgiving and gracious as he is, especially to our enemies. Just when you think someone may have crossed the point of no return, you can be that change to help them turn around."</p><p>Jane listened impassively, her face set in unreadable stone. As for me, the priest's sermon got me thinking long and hard through the rest of the Mass, especially when it was time for Communion and us four non-Catholics had to sit out of that.</p><p>When the last hymn was sung and the whole service was over, I couldn't keep in my curiosity anymore. "What do you think about vampires having souls?" I asked Jane. "The myths and stories say that your kind are damned, but a lot of the myths aren't true, right? Like the stakes and the garlic and sunlight burning you, that stuff's not true. Don't vampires have souls after all, then?"</p><p>Like me, Jane remained sitting in the pew. She kept staring ahead, even after the priests had left the altar a while ago. I thought she was ignoring me, then she said flatly, "It's just as the priest said: there's no way to know for sure where we go unless we get there. It's not like the vampires killed can come back and tell us."</p><p>"If you ask me, I don't think you're damned. Well, not <em>all</em> of you. I don't think it's fair that all vampires are damned just because they become vampires. Some of you didn't choose to become vampires, right? Like Carlisle, and I'm sure there are others out there who didn't choose either."</p><p>I almost asked Jane whether she got a choice in the matter, but probably too personal of a question. Instead I said, "Carlisle's such a good guy, and I don't like thinking that he's damned for a life he didn't get to choose. There's got to be a soul in at least some vampires who try to be decent. I mean, zombies aren't real, but if they were, now <em>those</em> are things without souls. They eat brains and guts without a second thought. They can't choose to say no to that."</p><p>I tightened my hands into fists over my lap. "Vampires can be strong enough to make good choices, though. I've seen how your kind can try their best to live a good life, and treat each other like friends and family, and look at humans with respect, as something more than food. I want to believe that those are the signs of still having a soul. I don't think that vampires are lost causes if they can choose to do better."</p><p>Out of the corner of my eye, still sitting in the pews behind me, Edward and Bella looked moved and touched by the words that came from the bottom of my heart.</p><p>Jane made the slightest turn of her head to meet my eyes. She said nothing for a while, probably thinking "this guy's got some screws loose." Then, in the silence of the church, what she said was so quiet that I had to lean in to hear. "I can see why so many take such a liking to you. Your heart is big enough to make room for even my kind. There aren't very many like you."</p><p>She worded this in a way I couldn't tell whether she was giving me a compliment or she was patronizing me. She slid her gaze away from me and crossed her arms over her chest. "You are unbearably naive and hopelessly optimistic."</p><p>Yep, definitely patronizing me.</p><p>Her eyes narrowed. "I don't know the answers to your question, but we can guess. And I can make a reasonable guess that in my case, I am long due for eternal damnation."</p><p>I frowned. "How can you be so sure?"</p><p>"You don't know the things I've done, Latin Wolf Boy. You don't want to know."</p><p>I had the best hearing out of the wolves in La Push, and I thought I heard a trace of sadness and self-loathing in her voice.</p><p>Jane rose to her feet without further ado and spun on her heel to stride out of the church. She moved so abruptly that Edward and Bella stood up with alarm and were quick to tail her.</p><p>I sat in a daze for a second, but a second in the vampire world was enough for the other three to already be almost out the church doors. I scrambled to my feet and almost ran after them, trying hard not to disturb the pious old ladies still praying with their rosaries.</p><p>Guilt chewed at my insides. I must've upset Jane in some way, and I didn't get a chance to thank her for the Latin lesson in church. That was the best Latin lesson with her yet.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>What better place to hear Latin and debate over vampire souls than a church? This was a fun chapter to write; hope it was fun to read.</p><p>I thought it'd be funny to highlight Jane's arrogance and stuck-up attitude by having her not bother to properly name people she believes are beneath her. So there's Bella=the shield, Seth=Latin Wolf Boy, and Jacob=Babysitter Wolf Boy. Who will be the next victim of her nicknaming?</p><p>And now you have a mental image of Jane sticking her face into wolf fur. You're welcome.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>Putting up with breathing in wolf stink turned out to be not in vain. Once the Denali coven ended their visit, and I could safely return to the house with Edward and the shield, the Cullens determined (by narrowly won majority vote) that I had enough control to be around humans, even around my blood singer.</p><p>This was a big step forward. The next step to take was twofold: one, being able to control myself around my blood singer without the mask, and two, make everyone trust me enough to know that I wouldn't use my gift, which meant that I could get the shield's watch off my back. I looked forward to that day, but getting there won't be easy.</p><p>I reasoned that I had to make an effort in being more pleasant to be around. Back when I had served in the Volturi, I was infamous for having a dangerous temper. Alec, the calmer one of the two of us, often had to keep me in check when my temper flared up. Even when my former masters didn't require my mental torturing services, I had a habit of unleashing my gift along with sharp dips in my mood.</p><p>Now that I was no longer associated with the Volturi, I had to make corrections to my demeanor. Perhaps the courteous Carlisle, the hospitable Esme, or even that ray-of-sunshine Latin Wolf Boy would make ideal characters to emulate.</p><p>Designating me as no longer a dire threat meant that the wolf boys could visit the Cullen house once again. Both were thrilled at that, though for different reasons.</p><p>"Finally, you get to teach me how to play chess," Babysitter Wolf Boy told the child as he arrived at the house the next day. "You'll go easy on me, right?"</p><p>Renesmee giggled as she pulled him further inside the house by the hand. "No promises!"</p><p>Latin Wolf Boy, on the other hand, was on better terms with more of the family. When he came into the house, there was nothing short on things for him to do with the Cullens. He spent the afternoon playing football and frisbee with Jasper and Emmett. I could hear their laughter even through closed windows. Out of curiosity, I edged out of the living room for a better look.</p><p>Latin Wolf Boy was shorter and more gangly than the two Cullens, though he kept up with them without much of a problem. Unlike vampires such as Jasper and Emmett, he panted and sweated the more he played. He came back into the house famished, and to my surprise, as if almost on cue, Esme emerged from the kitchen with sandwiches ready to eat.</p><p>"I changed it up a bit since you were last here," the matriarch of the coven said. "You're willing to be my guinea pig again, Seth?"</p><p>"Happily willing!" Latin Wolf Boy grinned from ear to ear as he accepted a sandwich. "Thanks a lot, Mrs. Cullen."</p><p>She chuckled. "I told you, just Esme is fine."</p><p>He plopped into a seat at the dinner table and took a big bite.</p><p>Esme remained by the kitchen counter, gauging his reaction. "You can be honest with me. No need to sugarcoat anything."</p><p>"A bit heavy on the mustard," he admitted around a mouthful of sandwich, "but otherwise great!"</p><p>"Duly noted." Esme actually scribbled it down on a notebook. "I got to remember that it's Leah who likes a lot of mustard in her sandwich. Is she ever planning on coming back here?"</p><p>He wiped his mouth on a napkin before replying, "Not sure. I've been trying to convince her to come over. It's a work in progress."</p><p>With the stench-covered mask plastered over my face, and the shield stifling my power, everyone could afford to ignore me and somewhat relax as they went about their day. From across the house, I could hear Babysitter Wolf Boy on his fifth chess rematch with the child, whose superior intelligence trumped him over and over, but he was in persistent good spirits to keep playing.</p><p>Carlisle sat down with Latin Wolf Boy at the dinner table to discuss career plans, in particular the route to become a physician.</p><p>"I think it would suit you well," Carlisle said with kind encouragement. "You've proved to be hard-working in school, and you genuinely care for other people."</p><p>Latin Wolf Boy finished the last bite of his sandwich before replying. "I don't know, actually...I don't think I can handle all the blood. Just because I've fought a bunch of vampires before doesn't make me used to blood and guts. Vampires don't bleed, after all."</p><p>"I wish I could let you shadow me at the hospital, so you could see how I work, but of course that's not allowed these days." Carlisle pulled out a tablet and placed it between himself and Latin Wolf Boy. "This is the next best thing. Let's see what you think if I show you some screenshots and videos I've taken of surgical operations I've done."</p><p>There came a dramatic groan from Babysitter Wolf Boy and a cheer from the child. Sounded like she had put him in checkmate yet again. Maybe I was starting to pity the wolf boy. Maybe I was bored. I don't know. I got up from my spot in the living room and went over to where they were playing. To my annoyance (but shouldn't be to my surprise, I suppose), the shield followed right behind me.</p><p>"I'll play the winner," I said, and smirked down at the wolf boy. "You look like you could take some time out to lick your wounds."</p><p>He didn't return any sort of smile, looking less than amused. "I was getting close."</p><p>"So close and yet so far," Renesmee said with a twinkle in her eye.</p><p>"Let me have a go." I took the wolf boy's place and rearranged the black chess pieces before me. "Let's see how good you really are."</p><p>The child seemed to take delight in the challenge as she took care of her white pieces. "You're on."</p><p>The shield and Babysitter Wolf Boy were spectators of this match. The child was good, certainly above average for her physical age, but she couldn't beat my years of experience. I was no chessmaster, but I had played often enough under Aro's tutelage to navigate through common pitfalls and set up traps of my own. I was the kind of player who would sacrifice any piece, short of the queen and king, to win. The match ended as I had the child's king backed into an inescapable corner.</p><p>She took her loss with grace. "You got me, Jane."</p><p>"Sometimes I've played out these kinds of strategies in real life."</p><p>I didn't elaborate, since I remembered how much her father tried to protect her from hearing what he considered beyond child-appropriate. I was referring to my repertoire of vampire-slaying excursions. It took the mind of a ruthless tactician to carry out that duty on behalf of the Volturi. The triumvirate may be the big-picture strategists, but since they almost never left their thrones, they would often leave me to play the field tactician. They picked their battles, and I fought the ones they picked. Once having the honor of being a permanent member of the guard, I had the outer circle of the guard at my disposal. I lost count of the number of pawns I had sent to their deaths for the sake of the mission.</p><p>"Whatchoo doing over here?" Latin Wolf Boy strode over to where the child and I sat with the chessboard between us. "Huh, never played chess before. Is it hard?"</p><p>"Not with enough practice," I replied.</p><p>"You can take over for me," Renesmee told him, and got up to rejoin Babysitter Wolf Boy by his side. "Jake and I will find something else to do. Maybe try out a new board game."</p><p>Latin Wolf Boy settled in across from me. "You up for being a chess teacher, Jane? You're already doing enough for me with Latin, so you don't have to."</p><p>I shrugged. "I don't mind. I don't—"</p><p>"Have anything better to do." He gave me a cheeky grin. "I know, you like to say that a lot as an excuse to do something nice for me."</p><p>I dropped my gaze to the chessboard and gave him no acknowledgement that he had seen right through me. Instead I jumped straight into showing him the rules of chess. "This looks like a lot of pieces to deal with, but I'll go through what each of them do..."</p><p>As with Latin, he was a quick learner. Soon we had a match going. "Are you thinking of becoming a doctor someday?" I asked him between turns. "I couldn't help overhearing your conversation with Carlisle." And I added, "A lot of medical terminology is derived from Latin, you know."</p><p>"Nah, being a doc isn't for me," he replied, and he pulled a face. "I saw the kind of stuff Carlisle has to do. Gets gnarly with all the blood, organs, and shit. Don't know if I can handle that kind of mess. Helping out sick people is a really cool thing to do, don't get me wrong. But like I said, not for me."</p><p>"Pity." I moved my queen out of harm's way. "I thought that would suit you."</p><p>"I'm gonna look into other careers." He tried to go after my queen with his knight. "So many choices out there...it's kind of overwhelming. That's why I'm asking around for advice from people like Carlisle, to figure out what I wanna do with my life."</p><p>"Good for you that the world's your oyster." My remark came out half bitter, half wistful. Back in my first life, I didn't have the silver platter of choices that Latin Wolf Boy had. I envied him for it. "I was handed the role of a Volturi guard when I wasn't in much of a position to refuse. I enjoyed it for a while, but now..." I knocked out one of his rooks with my own knight. "Now I'm figuring out what to do next. I suppose that puts me in the same boat as you."</p><p>"Feels good to know that I'm not alone. I guess we're on this journey through life together." He flashed me a warm smile.</p><p>We never got to finish our match, because the doorbell rang, and when Latin Wolf Boy scrambled to answer it, he exclaimed, "Hey, it's Leah!"</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>I couldn't believe it. Leah, a self-professed bloodsucker hater, at the doorstep of the Cullen house? I thought for a moment that I was seeing things, but she wasn't going away and she asked me gruffly, "So you're gonna let me in or what?"</p><p>"What are you doing here?" I managed to get out, and I stepped aside to let her in.</p><p>"What else? To protect you, dummy." She caught sight of Jane still sitting by the chessboard, and she narrowed her eyes. "Protect you from her, that's what."</p><p>My cheeks flushed. "I can take care of myself, Leah. You don't have to butt in. Might as well enjoy your visit and hang with the Cullens while you're here. Don't let me be your only reason to show up."</p><p>She brushed off my embarrassment and stalked over to Jane. "I see that we've taken precautionary measures," she said while gesturing to the mask Jane wore. She smirked as she caught a whiff of Jake's scent on it. "Not bad, I'll admit."</p><p>Jane calmly rose to her feet, unfazed by how my tall sister towered over her. "With whom do I make this acquaintance?"</p><p>"This is Leah, my older sister," I said. "She's here to embarrass me."</p><p>"Oh, stop it, Seth. I'm doing this for your own good." Leah crossed her arms and stared Jane down. "So this is the Cullen guest I've heard so much about. I heard you were small, but you're still a lot smaller than I thought you'd be."</p><p>I stiffened. I expected Jane to retort with a smartass, smug comment, like "What I lack in size, I more than make up for in the way I can send you to your knees."</p><p>Instead she cocked her head to one side and said serenely, "A pleasure to meet you too, I suppose."</p><p>I tried to step in between them. "Leah, play nice. Jane's actually been behaving well since she got here."</p><p>My sister pulled me closer to her, farther out of Jane's reach. "Don't speak too soon." She turned back to Jane with narrowed eyes. "Listen up, you little leech. If you touch one hair on my brother's head, or taste one drop of his blood, I won't hesitate to rip your head off, Cullen protection or not."</p><p>"Leah," I scolded.</p><p>I thought that Jane would return the threat with an insult, or a dry remark of how she already heard this kind of threat a million times already. How she actually responded took us aback.</p><p>"I have no reason nor desire to hurt him," she said with calm sincerity. "If anything, I've been helping him."</p><p>I jumped to Jane's defense. "It's true. My Latin grade really shot up since she became my tutor."</p><p>Leah didn't lower her high gate of suspicion. "What's in it for you?" she asked Jane.</p><p>"Nothing," Jane replied. She'd been keeping an admirable composure of coolness since Leah showed up, but now a hint of strain slipped into her voice. "I didn't ask for him to be my blood singer. I didn't ask for a lot of things in my life—both the first and the second."</p><p>I wondered what she meant by the last thing she had said. Before Leah could open her mouth, probably to cruelly pry, I tried to lead her away to the direction of the kitchen.</p><p>"Hey, take it easy. Jane's not asking for trouble and neither should you. You're hungry? Esme can make a sandwich for you."</p><p>Esme stepped away from the kitchen counter and toward us. "Leah, what a lovely surprise. We didn't know that you'd be coming."</p><p>Perfect timing on Esme's part. Leah shifted her weight, flitting her gaze between the kitchen cabinets and the tile floor. "Hi, Mrs. Cullen. Sorry for the short notice."</p><p>"No need to apologize." Carlisle joined his wife and wrapped an arm around her waist. "You're always welcome here, just like Jacob and your brother."</p><p>"I'm just here to make sure he stays safe and sound." Leah hooked her arm over mine.</p><p>"Of course, we understand," Esme replied. "Although I'm happy to say that Jane has been up to no trouble since we've had her here. You don't need to worry, but do whatever you're comfortable with, Leah."</p><p>"Thanks." She let go of me to rub her arm awkwardly, and she lowered her voice to a mumble. "Um, I forgot to get lunch when I ran over here. You don't mind...?"</p><p>"No, not at all." Esme looked positively thrilled at the chance to dabble in human food again. "I can definitely fix you a sandwich, or even some soup. Ever since the pandemic started and I had to stop working, I picked up cooking to pass the time. I've been getting better at it, if I do say so myself."</p><p>"Appreciate it," Leah said, once again in a mumble.</p><p>Esme made Leah linger in the kitchen, to make sure she was fixing the late lunch to Leah's taste. Now that the tension was diffused, I returned with relief to where Jane had settled back over the chessboard and was fiddling with the pieces.</p><p>"Sorry about that," I said with a shake of my head. "Leah can get really protective."</p><p>Jane made a single small flick of her hand. "No surprise to me. My brother is the same way."</p><p>My eyebrows shot up. "You have a brother?"</p><p>"Twin brother. He's physically fifteen years old like me, but younger by a few minutes."</p><p>"Oh, so you're the big sister." Then I ventured an educated guess: "You talk about him like he's still around."</p><p>"Yes. He has been with the Volturi as long as I had. He's still with them."</p><p>"Wow. So he's a vampire too." I tried to pick up where our match had left off, but I forgot and I ended up just focusing on talking to Jane. "Being with a sibling for a thousand something years...I dunno about you, but having Leah with me for that long would drive me up the roof."</p><p>She cracked a one-sided smile at that. "I couldn't ask for a better brother than Alec. He had always been around to protect me, to keep me in check and keep me from feeling lonely. I hope I can get him to leave the Volturi too." She shook her head. "I don't think he'll do that unless he sees how I can live on my own terms."</p><p>"You can do it, Jane. You've got the Cullens to help you out. And you got me." I frowned. "I know that sounds dumb, since my blood's actually making things harder than easier for you, but I really want to help you, too. I hope you can find the life you want, and get Alec to join you someday."</p><p>I meant what I said, and I earned the smallest smile of gratitude from her. "That's awfully nice of you," she said.</p><p>I wondered what Alec was like. He must have been there during the debate over Renesmee, but there were so many of the Volturi in their black coats that I wouldn't have been able to pick him out from the crowd. I wanted to meet him someday. From the way Jane had spoken so fondly of him, he seemed to bring out her good side, her best qualities, maybe even what she remembered of her humanity.</p><p>Thinking of that took me back to memories of church and hearing Jane sing. She looked the happiest I had ever seen when she sang with the choir.</p><p>When late afternoon turned into early evening, I told her, "I want to hear you sing again. Would you mind performing a few songs for us?"</p><p>My question took her aback, while it drew the attention and curiosity of everyone else in the house.</p><p>"Oh, Jane, I didn't know you could sing," Esme said.</p><p>"I heard her at church. She's actually pretty good," Bella admitted.</p><p>"I can play the piano as background music," Edward offered.</p><p>"I'd like to listen, but only if you're comfortable with it," Carlisle said.</p><p>"Please, I'd like to hear you too," Renesmee said.</p><p>Jane looked around, weighing the anticipation of her reaction and studying the gazes trained on her. Then she got up to move closer to the piano. "Very well. I'll try my hand at entertaining you tonight."</p><p>Edward took his place at the piano, and everyone else gathered in the living room to be the pair's audience. Even Leah was curious as she settled into the couch beside me. Jane leaned in to speak to Edward in a low voice, probably to tell him what songs she was going to sing and if he had the sheet music to follow along. It didn't take them long to get that sorted out. She didn't seem nervous in front of us. Maybe she was used to performing for an audience.</p><p>As soon as Jane sang the first note, she had me enraptured. Without a choir, and with only her voice resounding through the house, I felt the impact from the full power and beauty of her vocal talent. She sang in a variety of genres and languages: a German lied, Italian opera, an English folk song, and a South African hymn. Her eyes were closed most of the time, like she was being transported from this time and space to another one entirely. Her face was one of pure, tranquil bliss. Seeing and hearing her like this almost made me forget how dangerous she could be. All I could process in the melodies of her making was how lovely she looked and sounded.</p><p>As Jane finished the last song, it was like waking up from a spell. Total silence enveloped us for a moment, then we erupted into applause. She and Edward took a small bow together.</p><p>I voiced what was probably on everyone else's minds. "That. Was. Amazing."</p><p>People around me voiced their agreement, and Emmett exclaimed, "How does that big voice come out of such a tiny body?"</p><p>That made everyone laugh. Even Jane tugged up a corner of her mouth. "I was the resident court singer in the Volturi. I used to sing for my masters whenever they wanted a little music in their throne room."</p><p>Carlisle nodded. "I remember hearing you back when I used to be with the Volturi. You sounded wonderful back then as you did just now."</p><p>"Thank you for sharing with us, Jane," Esme said, "and of course, thank you Edward for accompanying her with the piano."</p><p>Jane waited until everyone dispersed from the living room to admit to me in full confidentiality: "I actually somewhat enjoyed myself tonight. Thank you for your company."</p><p>I beamed at her. "It was my pleasure. And thank you for singing."</p><p>Our night with the Cullens and Jane ended on a good note (no pun intended). Under the cover of night, Jake, Leah, and I sprinted out of the house and back to La Push as a pack.</p><p><em>So are you gonna come along with us to visit the Cullens now?</em> I asked Leah. <em>Told you they're not so bad to chill with.</em></p><p>She snorted. <em>I'll go if you go, but only so I keep you out of trouble.</em></p><p>But in our wolf forms, where our thoughts flowed freely like a river we shared among each other, I could tell that she was warming up to the Cullens, especially to Esme.</p><p>Jane's singing lingered in my mind like the sweetness of honey on my tongue. Recalling her songs had a weightless effect on me, so that I felt like I flew through the forest, as if my paws became wings.</p><p>I was brought crashing to earth as I stumbled and felt my legs almost give way. My snout went into a shrub in front of me before I recovered my gait.</p><p>Jake rounded on me with concern. <em>Hey, Seth, you okay?</em></p><p>Leah echoed his worry and instantly stopped by my side.</p><p><em>Yeah, I'm fine.</em> <em>Tripped over a stupid root. Just couldn't see where I was going.</em></p><p>No use lying. Jake and Leah could tell I was bluffing, but they didn't press me for details as we continued our way back home. I didn't trip over a root. I could see in the dark just fine. I may have been thinking back to Jane's singing, but I wasn't so much in la-la land that I lost track of where I was going. My head started to hurt. I shook it to try clearing the pain, but it only worsened as we reached the rez.</p><p>I went to bed with a splitting headache. Tonight didn't end on such a good note, after all.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Alec</strong>
</p><p>It was to the Volturi's great benefit that Italy had a substantial homeless population. I was among those responsible for cleaning the streets of beggars, pickpockets, and panhandlers. We had started out burying the bodies, because leaving behind messy leftovers would be rude, not to mention risking exposure of our existence. However, recently my masters issued out a new order to the guard.</p><p>"From now on, after feeding you must deliver the bodies to the lowest level of the castle," Caius said to me. "Bring only adults back, not children, and keep the bodies as intact as possible. You'll have further instructions from the physician managing that floor."</p><p>Physician? I set out to my new task without question, though I couldn't help but find it strange. The Volturi never had a need for a physician on staff. Vampires couldn't get sick, and our bodies injured in battle can repair themselves. Even the secretary as the face of our tourism front was more useful than a physician would be to us.</p><p>On that first night, I bundled up my freshest kill—a middle-aged homeless man—in a body bag and hauled it back to the castle. Santiago accompanied me with a bundled up body of his own. We headed down to the lowest floor, where only torches lit the way down a gloomy stone-hewn hall.</p><p>We reached the room at the end of the hall, and upon knocking, I was caught off guard by the one who answered.</p><p>The bespectacled man, on the other hand, seemed to be expecting us. "Alec, Santiago! Thank you for coming."</p><p>I heard his beating heart. I noticed wet brown eyes behind those glasses, the sweat glistening on his balding head. And of course, I smelled an appetizing scent beneath even the antiseptic stench sticking to his white coat. The physician was human.</p><p>He beckoned at us to come in. "Place the bodies on the tables here, and I'll get right on to preparing them."</p><p>With white sterile walls, medical tools lined up in a tray, and bodies stored in a cooling unit, the room was a stark contrast to the rest of the antiquated hall. Stocked along the counter were vats of blood, jars of organs swimming in formaldehyde. And hanging at the farthest end of the room were thin, uneven flaps of what looked to me like aged parchment.</p><p>Santiago and I did as the physician told us, and I couldn't help asking, "Where did you come from? Why do my masters need you?"</p><p>"I owe Aro and Caius many thanks for turning me out of prison so I can be put to good use," he replied. "I used to be a legitimate physician with a clinic of my own in Volterra, you see, but eventually I took greater interest in killing my patients than saving them. Death is far more fascinating than life, won't you agree?" He glanced pointedly at me and Santiago as he said that. He unzipped my body bag first, and he rubbed his gloved hands with glee. "My job here is to skin these bodies. I was told that the skins will come in handy for some grand scheme later."</p><p>I glanced back at the rack of "aged parchment." Those were human skins, dried and preserved.</p><p>Santiago and I exchanged a raised eyebrow. "Sounds like you're having the time of your life down here," he remarked.</p><p>"Oh, yes." The physician beamed at us. "Having fun with dissections in high school started it all."</p><p>I didn't share his enthusiasm. "So the two of us are done here, then? I was told by my masters that you still want to expand your supply of bodies."</p><p>"Yes, do go out and bring back more for me. Aro promised me a place among the Volturi if I do a good job. Help me not disappoint him."</p><p>As Santiago and I turned to leave the makeshift morgue, I heard the clink of scalpels and scissors as the physician readied himself to dig into the body I had given him. I wasn't interested in sticking around to watch.</p><p>What could my masters want with human skins? Perhaps the skins had something to do with Jane's mission. I didn't think about it too much. It wasn't my place to question or speculate over the thought process of my masters. All I had to do was follow orders.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The songs I had in mind for Jane's performance:</p><p>Erlkönig - Franz Schubert</p><p>Un bel di vedremo - Madame Butterfly (Act II)</p><p>Greensleeves - English folk song</p><p>Ukuthula - South African peace hymn</p><p>There's the other headcanon I have for Jane: that she enjoys classical singing. The Volturi rulers are known to be nighttime patrons of the arts, so I thought it logical to have at least some of the guard dabble in the arts, too. I remember that opera was playing during the awkward elevator scene in New Moon. I like to think that Jane was secretly singing along in her head during that elevator ride. She may have even been responsible for the choice in elevator music.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>It had been a week since the wolf boys and the wolf girl last visited. A quiet, uneventful weekend spent in the Cullen house was rudely interrupted by the distressed howl of wolves. The coven immediately dropped whatever they were doing around the house and sprang to their feet.</p><p>"Sounds like a plea for help," Edward said.</p><p>Carlisle didn't need to tell his coven that they ought to go together. They already understood. Still under their watch, I had to come along. They still didn't trust me to be without supervision. We sprinted out of the house with as much swiftness as our vampiric bodies could allow.</p><p>We skidded to a halt at the treaty border, where a shallow brook divided the land. The sight that greeted us made the Cullens gape in shock and horror. Even I widened my eyes.</p><p>A gangly sand-colored wolf thrashed under the grips of several young men who tried to hold him down. The oldest one with the greatest build had his arms wrapped around the snout, his muscles knotted with exertion. Others had the wolf by each of its limbs. Standing on either side of the downed wolf were two more: one I recognized as Babysitter Wolf Boy with his large build and russet brown fur, and the other was a smaller grey one who must be Wolf Girl. They were obviously the ones who had sent the distress howl as their eyes frantically darted between us and the bound wolf.</p><p>Edward translated for us. "Leah and Jacob found Seth acting out this morning. He phased without warning when he was walking to the beach."</p><p>The sand-colored wolf must be none other than Latin Wolf Boy.</p><p>Edward furrowed his brow, as if trying to sort out the rapidfire thoughts hitting him all at once. "They first noticed him acting strangely on the night they last came over. Seth lost balance and almost fell while running back home."</p><p>"That's not the end of it," said the one keeping Latin Wolf Boy's snout shut. "He's had headaches and a nasty temper for the past few days." Mixed strain and worry filled his voice as the wolf in question snarled between gritted teeth. "I've never seen Seth like this before. It's scaring us."</p><p>"Leah and Jacob had to call in Sam, Paul, Quil, and Embry to hold down Seth," Edward said on behalf of the two wolves. Concern flashed in his golden eyes. "They can't get him to phase back."</p><p>"We've tried everything," said the curly-haired one holding down one of the forelegs. "We tried talking sense into him, even some roughhousing, but nothing worked. He's like possessed or something. We can't get through to him." He had to shout to be heard above the growling and snarling.</p><p>Carlisle tried to approach Latin Wolf Boy with careful steps, getting ankle-deep in the burbling brook, perhaps to get a better look. That only further agitated the wolf. The young men groaned and gritted their teeth as they did their best to hold him in place. Emmett and Jasper sprang forward and crossed the border to help them.</p><p>Carlisle had taken all this in with what must have been a doctor's urgent assessment of the symptoms. Finally he said grimly, "I've only seen this in humans, but never in a shapeshifter before. It sounds like Seth is afflicted with a prion disease."</p><p>"What the hell is that?" It sounded like Edward was speaking for both himself and the wolves.</p><p>"You may have heard of mad cow disease," Carlisle replied. "Prions are infectious proteins that spontaneously attack the brain. They cause neurodegenerative symptoms and, at least in humans, it's always fatal."</p><p>Wolf Girl flattened her ears and whined. Babysitter Wolf Boy bristled and lashed his tail.</p><p>"Maybe it's different for shapeshifters," Esme said in desperation. "Maybe there's a way to save him."</p><p>Carlisle didn't answer her. He only shut his eyes as if he was in pain.</p><p>"Like I said, we tried everything." Tears sprang to the eyes of the curly-haired boy. "We don't know what else to do."</p><p>"We were hoping that you could help us," said the one clamping down on Latin Wolf Boy's snout.</p><p>"Did you try <em>everything</em>?" Carlisle asked.</p><p>Babysitter Wolf Boy growled out something, and Edward translated, "Everything except actually hurting him."</p><p>"Then there is one possibility, but I don't think anyone's going to like it."</p><p>Edward's widened gaze fell on me. I must be involved somehow. I may not be a mind reader, but I wasn't slow, either. I frowned. "You want me to use my gift on him?"</p><p>"You're not serious, Carlisle," Rosalie exclaimed.</p><p>"It might just work," came his gentle rebuttal. "Jane's gift is to trigger the illusion of pain. Seth's body is kicked into overdrive from the infection in his brain. The sensation of debilitating pain may be enough to overcome that overreaction."</p><p>Babysitter Wolf Boy bared his teeth at me, clearly not getting behind that idea.</p><p>"The illusionary aspect of her gift is the key," Carlisle stressed. "Seth won't be physically hurt. The pain will only be in his mind, and not for long. That might just be the thing to get him to revert to his human form."</p><p>Wolf Girl let out another whine, and I was surprised to see no hostility in her gaze at me, but only an unspoken plea.</p><p>"Leah says she's willing to do whatever it takes to save her brother," Edward said.</p><p>"We'll take any help we can get at this point." Tears rolled down the cheeks of the curly-haired one now. "Please, do what you can to save Seth."</p><p>The two wolf packs, whether on four legs or two, were unified in their distress. Most of them barely knew me, yet they were that desperate and they cared enough for Latin Wolf Boy to place their trust on what I could do for him. It was bewildering, almost absurd.</p><p>"Do it, Jane," the shield said firmly. "Nothing's stopping you now."</p><p>I felt her restricting unseen hold on me lift, like being relieved of a great weight. I gave her a look of disbelief. She only nodded, prompting me to go ahead. I searched for signs of opposition among the rest, and to my amazement, found none. The Cullens parted to form a straight path between me and the suffering wolf boy.</p><p>I stepped into the brook, paying no heed to the water streaming around my ankles and shins. I waded past Carlisle and stopped at just an arms-length from a snout filled with rows of sharp teeth.</p><p>He foamed at the mouth, his eyes wide, wild, and unable to meet my own steady gaze on him.</p><p>"All right, Latin Wolf Boy, that's enough," I said softly. "You're really worrying everyone around you. I think it's time you stop doing that."</p><p>His snarls turned into whines as pain gripped him like fiery claws digging into his coat. The grip tightened to immobilize him in the illusion of crippling agony. He stopped struggling. Or so I thought.</p><p>He lashed out once, only a feeble arch of his back, but it was enough for me to take a step back in surprise. The infection in his brain must be strong. I had to work even harder to overcome it.</p><p>"<em>Seth, that's enough</em>." My command and power cracked down like a whip.</p><p>His eyes rolled back and his eyelids squeezed shut as a stronger wave of pain seized him. Then, before our unbelieving eyes, his fur, snout, ears, and tail receded. Paws turned into hands and feet. He shifted back into the boy I recognized, curled up on the forest floor and his face scrunched up from the pain I inflicted on him. His whines turned into soft sobs as he changed from wolf to boy.</p><p>I tore my gaze away from his naked body, releasing him from my invisible grip. At the same time, those who had held him down let him go. Jasper and Emmett retreated back to the Cullens' side of the land.</p><p>Carlisle rushed forward to place a gentle hand on Seth's head. "He needs an urgent operation. I'll try to remove the infection in his brain. I wish I could do it right here in La Push, but I need proper equipment and an operating room."</p><p>"Understood. We'll drive him to the hospital and meet you there, Dr. Cullen." The man who had kept the snout shut scooped up Seth into his arms as if he was an infant.</p><p>The other members of the pack trailed behind him as Seth was carried away, but not before looking back at me with conflicting awe, gratitude, and fear.</p><p>Carlisle took off in the opposite direction, down the way we had come from, to reach the house and jump into his car.</p><p>I was left still standing shin-deep in the brook, with my hands clutched into fists at my sides.</p><p>"Carlisle will take over from here," Edward said. "You did good, Jane."</p><p>I said nothing in reply. I kept staring ahead to where the wolves of La Push had stepped out of sight.</p><p>Esme had to put a hand on my shoulder to snap me out of my reverie. "Come on, Jane, let's head back home," she said gently. "You did what you could."</p><p>I gritted my teeth and sent up splashes as I broke into a run to follow the Cullens. We returned to the house in hushed silence, which was punctuated only by expressed worry.</p><p>"I sure hope that kid's going to be okay," Jasper murmured.</p><p>"Carlisle will take care of him," Emmett said. "He's an awesome surgeon. The kid's in very good hands."</p><p>Alice sighed. "I wish I can see his future so I know for sure he'll come out all right."</p><p>I didn't file through the back door along with everyone else. Instead I remained outside, standing in the dirt and hearing birdsong warble overhead. I stood rigid for what felt like a stretched out second. Then I moved in a savage blur. I plucked a rock the size of my hand from the ground and flung it into the woods.</p><p>I was nowhere near as strong as Emmett or Felix, but my throw was enough to punch a sizeable chunk off the side of a tree trunk. The splintering crack sent startled birds scattering from the treetop.</p><p>"Jane, what's wrong?" Esme came out of the house and regarded me with concern.</p><p>I wished I had Alec around to calm me down. I grabbed a fistful of my hair and paced back and forth in the backyard like a caged animal. "I...I feel awful," I hissed. "I feel like <em>shit</em>."</p><p>Instead of drawing away from me, like anyone else would, Esme came up to put a kindly hand on my shoulder like she had at the brook. "Calm down. Deep breaths. Let's sit over here and talk it out."</p><p>I forced myself to follow her advice and take in unnecessary lungfuls of air. I found that actually helped quell a bit of my anger. I sat down next to Esme on the bench that overlooked the forest.</p><p>"What's making you so upset, Jane? You've actually done a good thing for Seth."</p><p>I scowled down at my feet, at my boots still wet from being in the brook. "This is the first time in my life that I didn't enjoy using my power. After the shield—I mean, Bella—had been holding me back with the most annoying leash in the world, I finally get to use it. And I used it on the one who did nothing to deserve it."</p><p>"What you're going through right now shows how much you care."</p><p>I looked up at her with disbelief.</p><p>"That awful feeling you have...that's called guilt. It sure doesn't feel good, but it's a reassuring sign that there's still some humanity left in you."</p><p>I made a bitter laugh. "Surprised?"</p><p>Esme paused for a moment. "To be honest, if you were still in the Volturi, I would be. But ever since you've stayed with us, I've seen you go out of your way to care for Seth."</p><p>I wrinkled my nose. "He's like a puppy. Wouldn't anyone feel bad about kicking a puppy?"</p><p>"You may be in denial, but I think that you're well on your way to living and thinking like us." She rose from the bench and gestured to the house. "Carlisle will not be back home in a while, and you're due for your weekly drink. I'll mix it for you this time. I've seen him do it enough for me to pull it off, I think."</p><p>I followed Esme back inside, feeling a lot less upset with myself after I let her words sink in. I stayed in the kitchen even long after I had finished the drink Esme had mixed for me. The Cullens were either sitting statues in the living room, or pacing back and forth down a hallway. We waited with bated breath for news from Carlisle.</p><p>Hours later, the ringing of Edward's phone pierced through the tense silence of the house. All of our attention was directed to him as he answered. The rest of us had good enough hearing to pick up on what Carlisle had to report.</p><p>"The brain damage isn't as widespread and penetrating as I had feared. I was able to remove most of the infection, if not all of it. Vital signs are stable, no significant blood loss. Seth will be okay."</p><p>The Cullens let out an audible, collective sigh of relief. I let out the breath I didn't know I had been holding in.</p><p>"That's great to hear," Edward replied. "Will he be recovering in the hospital or back at home?"</p><p>"I'm sure he'll be more comfortable at home," Carlisle said. "There's no real need to keep him in the hospital after the operation. And I'm sure that that's what his family and friends would prefer."</p><p>He returned home another hour later, receiving a flood of praise from his coven. He merely inclined his head in modesty, and when the Cullens stopped crowding around him, he approached me where I stood alone in the kitchen.</p><p>"We ought to be thanking you for your help, Jane," he said.</p><p>"I never thought that hurting someone could be helping someone," I replied wryly.</p><p>"That's what surgery is all about." Carlisle leaned against the kitchen counter behind him. "As a surgeon, I have to cut into someone to heal them. I've always been fascinated by that irony. What you did for Seth is somewhat like that, using pain as part of the healing process."</p><p>I frowned. "I've never thought about it that way before. I've certainly never used my gift for anything else besides interrogation and torture."</p><p>"There's a first time for everything. Esme told me how you felt after using your power on Seth."</p><p>My thumb traced a neverending swirl on the ceramic cup I still held. I fixed my gaze on the carpet in the living room, as if I suddenly picked up a fascination for every minutiae in the woven patterns.</p><p>Carlisle's voice was as warm as sunlight of a breaking dawn. "I'm not going to tell you that you shouldn't feel bad. In fact, it's good that you felt bad. The moment you realize that is a great milestone. I had seen it time and time again as I helped my family members adjust to their new lives, and helped them realize that human life has value and must be treated with dignity. For me, that's something worth celebrating."</p><p>His words felt foreign to me. My former masters never would have said anything like that. I could easily imagine them scolding me, even punishing me, if I ever refused to use my power.</p><p>I shook my head, trying to brush off words I wasn't used to hearing. "My part in helping the wolf boy was small. You're the one who saved his life."</p><p>Carlisle smiled. "It's not small to me. And I'm sure that it won't feel small to Seth either."</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>I was on all fours, with snow biting its coldness into my paws. Wolves and vampires milled around me, entrenched in an all-out war. My brothers and sister, the Volturi, the Cullens, their acquaintances...everyone who was present at the Renesmee trial. Confusion made my head reel. What the hell happened? I didn't remember ever getting into a fight.</p><p>But here I was, standing over the body of a Volturi vampire whose head I had just ripped off. And standing before me was Jane, wearing pitch-black robes. A faint smile ghosted across her face, and the most searing hot pain knocked me off my paws. I fell into the snow, whining and howling as smokeless fire ignited every nerve in my body.</p><p>Jane kept standing over me, making no movement of her body except for the upward tug of her lips into a cruel smile. I staggered to my paws, unable to walk straight. I fell straight into the death grip of a Volturi vampire, someone very big and strong, someone very unlike Jane. He sneered into my ear, and all my ribs cracked under a single crushing squeeze.</p><p>I jolted up in a cold sweat. I was in my bed, out of my wolf form. My bare chest heaved for air, my ribcage was in one piece, but man, my head hurt like hell. I groaned and fell back into my pillow.</p><p>"Just a dream," I muttered to myself. "A nightmare."</p><p>I rolled onto my side to look at my clock on the nightstand. Only 10:00 PM? Shoot, I thought I had slept through most of the night. I had been having a hard time getting sleep since Carlisle operated on me, among other things. I had headaches, but not the migraine kind. More like pain centered on where the doc had made an incision and closed up with stitches. Whenever I did need to be awake, I was hit by fatigue and drowsiness.</p><p>All in all, I felt like crap. But at least I was alive.</p><p>I sat up in my bed, unable to go back to sleep. Poor Mom had a nervous breakdown when she found out about my episode, but as a nurse, she had pulled herself together admirably quickly when Carlisle had told her that an operation could solve the problem.</p><p>Carlisle told me that I had come down with a prion disease. I was learning about that in biology. Prions couldn't be wiped out by antibiotics, or by any kind of medication, really. They also couldn't killed by chemicals and heat. They could put holes in your brain, so your brain turned into a sponge. Worst of all, prion diseases couldn't be cured. Scary stuff.</p><p>But what I learned about prions so far applied only to humans. Apparently a shapeshifter like me wasn't a lost cause. The infection in my brain first made me lose control of my gait, then sent my phasing ability haywire, but it could be reversed by something like the illusion of pain. Like Jane's power.</p><p>With a trembling hand I grabbed at my phone on the nightstand and dialed Edward's number.</p><p>He picked up right away. "Hey, Seth, great to hear from you. How are you feeling?"</p><p>"I can't sleep," I said in a low, tired voice. "But I'm happy to be alive."</p><p>"I'm sure you are. My family's so relieved to know that you came out fine."</p><p>I was touched to hear that all the Cullens were worried about me. "Tell them thanks for their emotional support." Then I changed the subject. "Sorry to bother you, but can I talk to Jane over Zoom?"</p><p>"You're no bother at all, Seth. I'll get her for you."</p><p>He hung up. From my bedpost, I took off the snapback I had borrowed from Paul and slipped it over my head. Carlisle cutting into my head meant that all my hair had to be shaved off before the surgery. Now my head was smooth and round like a brown boiled egg. I didn't think the world was ready to behold a bald Seth Clearwater. I almost forgot, but I remembered to throw on a shirt to look a bit more presentable.</p><p>In a few minutes, I had my laptop up and running, and Jane's face came onto my screen. For the first time since I had met her, she looked uncomfortable, like she didn't want to face me.</p><p>"Hey, Jane," I said, "I just wanted to say thank you so much for saving my life."</p><p>Her red eyes wandered, as if trying to avoid settling them on my face. "You...you're thanking me for hurting you?"</p><p>"It sure didn't feel nice, honestly, but you did what you had to do."</p><p>"Now you've gotten a taste of what I'm capable of. Now you know why I was such a powerful weapon for the Volturi." I could've sworn she sounded the teeniest bit ashamed when she said that. "Are you afraid of me now?"</p><p>"Afraid? Nah. Not anymore." I said that despite the nightmare I just had.</p><p>Jane gave me the kind of look something like disappointment that I answered wrong on a game show. "You should be afraid."</p><p>"But I'm not. I'm grateful." She didn't look convinced, so I said, "I really mean it. Thank you, Jane. Thank you for using your gift to save me."</p><p>She said nothing for a while, long enough for me to think that I might've accidentally put myself on mute and she hadn't heard me. Finally she muttered, "You're welcome, Seth."</p><p>Promoted from nickname to first name basis with Jane. Finally! I kept grinning from ear to ear as I went back to bed. I felt like I could float right up through the roof.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I have a medical background, so I have a fair amount of knowledge in prions and the diseases they cause. I was interested in how a prion disease would affect a shapeshifter as opposed to humans. This allowed me to do some science handwaving.</p><p>Also I really wanted to write a scene where Jane finally gets to use her power, but not in the way she expected.</p><p>And of course, I saw the perfect opportunity to slip in Jane and Seth's encounter during Alice's vision from Breaking Dawn Part 2.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>I was certainly no shapeshifter, but I came to think of guilt as a wolf dwelling inside me. That guilt didn't go away since the day I had hurt Seth. Instead it persisted and lingered in the most irritating way, digging its fangs into my insides and hounding my thoughts. My body was at war with my mind, as if pitching a fit over the decision to put my power to unprecedented use.</p><p>Before Seth, I had only ever used my power to assert the Volturi's authority and dominance. I was the ultimate instrument of torture.</p><p>All gifts had to be nurtured and honed, and mine was no exception. Aro had put me through intense training immediately after my transformation. I first tested my power on small animals, on squirrels, mice, and the like. I moved on to larger animals such as deer and horses, and finally I moved on to people. I grew more and more addicted to the rush of power that my gift gave me. The squealing of animals, and the cries of humans and vampires, became music to my ears.</p><p>I could still remember Aro's ultimate test for me like it was yesterday. It was sunset in a remote corner of Kenya, with no human civilization in sight, and only wildlife dominated the savannah plains. Felix and Demetri were sent to agitate a herd of African elephants, sending them into a full-blown stampede. A stampede heading right for me.</p><p>Aro had been by my side, acting as my supervisor. He paid no heed to the ground rumbling beneath our feet, or to the growing cloud of dust ahead. As for me, a young vampire in training, I could not help feeling anxiety flutter in my stomach. Elephants were the largest land animals in the world. I had the body of a petite girl. Perhaps experienced male vampires like Felix and Demetri could fend off a herd of angry elephants, but I was never trained in physical combat. Aro had assured me that my power was all I needed.</p><p>Aro leaned in to whisper encouragement into my ear. "Remember, Jane...in the face of your gift, size means nothing. Remember why you are in the Volturi. You are with us because you are strong and valuable beyond compare. You have the power to bring anyone and anything to their knees."</p><p>I kept my gaze ahead and managed only a tiny nod, though his words restored some confidence in me.</p><p>The charging elephants loomed in plain human sight. Their trumpeting assaulted my sensitive ears. Aro gestured to the stampede. "Go ahead, my dear."</p><p>He didn't retreat. He was trusting me to protect him. I planted my stance firmer into the dirt, and focused my power on the leading bull elephant: the largest one with tusks long enough to run me through. The bull screamed and seized up in agony. His legs buckled in and he plummeted to the ground facefirst. The elephants from behind plowed right into the fallen leader. The stampede fell apart in a mass crunch of broken bones, splintered tusks, and pained screams.</p><p>When the dust settled, Aro clapped his hands once with delight. "Well done, Jane. Very good." He laid a fatherly hand on my shoulder. "Consider your training over. You are ready."</p><p>Members of the Volturi guard had been witnessing the test nearby, and when we converged to head back to Volterra together, they didn't bother to hide their awe in me. Thus began my path to garner the utmost fear and respect in the vampire world.</p><p>Aro may have found me and turned me, but Caius played the biggest role in glorifying the use of my power. He had passed down to me the savage pleasure in toying with victims before punishing them. By far the most satisfying victims to torture were those who dismissed me as a weak little girl. I was quick to make them pay the price for their foolishness.</p><p>Combined with Alec and his sensory deprivation, I was unstoppable. Vampire law was never put down in writing, for that would expose our existence, and so our reputation was spread the same way: through word of mouth, through horrified eyewitness accounts.</p><p>Over the centuries, I became famed enough that vampires who had never even crossed paths with me carried a healthy fear of my power. It was that healthy fear, combined with good behavior, that would help them not have to cross paths with me in the first place. Alec may be my brother, and the Volturi guard may be my colleagues, but my only true companions were pain and fear. They followed me everywhere I went, and I never grew tired of their company. I had my fair share of fun with pain and fear, as good friends would.</p><p>That all changed when I had to hurt Seth. It wasn't fun anymore.</p><p>I took no joy in watching his wolf body being gripped in imaginary pain. As a vampire I could no longer dream, but the sight of him curled up and crying still haunted me. I tried to remember the warm smile he had given me, when he said that we would take this journey through life together. I wondered if he could ever give me that same smile again. I hated myself for giving that beaming, friendly boy a world of hurt.</p><p>Now that I was no longer with the Volturi, I had no more reason to keep using my power. I told myself that I would do my best to refrain from using it again, especially on Seth.</p><p>I'd been reminiscing and ruminating in the living room, and out of the corner of my eye, Edward nodded in approval. He must've caught wind of my decision. He came around to sit across from me.</p><p>"Now you understand why my family likes Seth so much," he said. "He has a gentle soul and an open heart. It's hard not to like him. It's even harder to even think of hurting him." What he said next was tinged with sympathy. "Seems like you've been kicking yourself since you had to use your gift yesterday."</p><p>I furrowed my brow. "That one time I was allowed to use my gift made me realize that I don't want to use it anymore."</p><p>Edward leaned back into the sofa, with a grin slowly spreading across his face, and without taking his eyes off of me, he said, "Bella, I think she's ready."</p><p>The shield had been in the kitchen to prepare lunch for their daughter, and at what Edward said, she came over to join him. "Actually, I think so, too." She sounded surprised with herself, as if she couldn't believe that those words just came out of her mouth. "I don't need to read minds to see the guilt on her face since yesterday."</p><p>Have I become that easy to read now? Anyway, it was in my favor.</p><p>"All right, Jane, I believe you and Edward that you're good on your word. I'm going to lower the shield. Don't give me any reason to put it back up on you."</p><p>I nodded at her. "Thank you. I'm glad that you can trust me now." A few seconds later, I felt the shield's hold on me lift. Because of that, I could stop calling her a shield. I didn't say that out loud, of course.</p><p>Being promoted to a higher level of trust meant that even Alice came around to lowering her guard.</p><p>"You, me, and Rosalie are going shopping," she declared solemnly. "I never let anyone in this family wear the same thing for more than a day. And I had put up with you wearing that same Volturi coat long enough, Jane. It was really driving me nuts. It's time to get you new clothes."</p><p>Edward smirked. "Word of advice: it would be wise not to refuse Alice when it comes to shopping and her...uh, fashion experiments."</p><p>Bella didn't bother hiding her relief at being excluded from the shopping trip. I wasn't so lucky. But like Edward said, I'd be a fool to ruin Alice's good spirits from no longer seeing me as a threat. I just bit back a sigh as Alice and Rosalie pulled me along.</p><p>We went to a local mall that must've been more populated before the pandemic, because hardly anyone was shopping around. Not that I was complaining. Less people around meant less temptation to look at them as prey. I was relieved to wear a normal mask, one that didn't have wolf scent all over it. Alice and Rosalie wore masks as well, though the mask did nothing to stem the flow of Alice's excitement as she discussed the clothes she wanted me to try on.</p><p>"It seems like every time I see you, you're in dreary, scary black," she told me. "I'm itching to put some more color into your life. What do you say?"</p><p>Though she asked that, I didn't think I had much of a say in her apparent superior knowledge in fashion. I opted for the polite yet resigned response. "I defer to your better judgment."</p><p>Alice proceeded to turn me into a little mannequin, towing me from outlet to outlet, throwing on a dizzying array of clothes she thought would look "very cute" on me. I was quite sure that she was hell bent on a mission to make me look as unthreatening as possible. Some of the frilly, flowing, and bright-colored tops I wore made me wish that I really couldn't see myself in the mirror, like the vampire myth we perpetuated.</p><p>Rosalie gleefully took photos to memorialize my cluelessness and embarrassment. To stay on their good side, I indulged her.</p><p>"When it comes down to it, you decide what you want to wear," Alice told me, then she winked. "Don't worry about having enough to pay; I got you covered."</p><p>After some deliberation, I went for simple articles and neutral colors. I had choices but with one exception: Alice and Rosalie banned me from buying anything black.</p><p>After hours of shopping, we headed back to the Cullen house with an armload of new clothes just for me. Unbeknownst to the coven, that shopping spree marked the first time I got to make my own choices and have my own possessions. It felt confusing, strange...and freeing.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>Having the emergency operation on my head meant that I had to stay put at home, and I got time off from school.</p><p>Carlisle warned me that my balance might still be off, and I might get dizzy while standing, so I was given a cane to help keep me steady and upright if I had to walk around. No one teased me for it, but walking with that cane kind of made me feel like an old man. Carlisle also told me not to wear out my eyes by looking at screens for a while. That meant I couldn't binge-watch anime like I usually did. I had to watch a few episodes at a time before I called it quits for the day.</p><p>Like a good nurse, Mom did a fantastic job reminding me of the health precautions every five minutes, it seemed. She wanted me to move around the house as little as possible, so I was stuck to either the living room couch while watching TV, the dining table while eating, and the bed for everything else.</p><p>Leah was pretty shaken up since what I called the "prion scare." She went out of her way to make sure I was comfortable and not bored out of my mind. She would go to the bookstore and bring home new volumes of manga I'd been following. She would also bring home stuff from food trucks and boba tea. Leah could be a very nice, providing big sister when the time called for it, and I was grateful for her consideration.</p><p>Charlie stopped by to see how I was doing, and of course, see Mom too.</p><p>"Hey, kid, how's it going? You hanging in there?" He gave me a careful hug. "I heard from your mom that you had some kind of crazy head bleed."</p><p>I tiptoed around the fact as I returned the hug and managed a smile. "Uh, yeah, a ruptured aneurysm."</p><p>No one outside of the La Push pack and the Cullen family was supposed to know that I had a prion disease. Humans never survived those. Normal humans, anyway. If Carlisle's medical colleagues caught wind of a boy being cured of a prion disease, they'd jump all over that, make a big fuss of it, turn me into a case study and publish research papers or something. Publicity of any kind wouldn't be good for La Push wolves. So Carlisle kept my operation on the down low, and told me to call it a ruptured aneurysm if anyone outside our circle asked.</p><p>Charlie frowned. "Ruptured aneurysm...kind of like a stroke, huh?" He shook his head. "You poor kid, you're way too young to get that kind of stuff. That's more for old folks like myself."</p><p>I laughed. "You're not old, Charlie."</p><p>Leah and I really liked having him around, and for Leah to really like someone was a big deal. We practically considered Charlie family by now. If Mom married him someday, that would make Bella my sister in-law. That was cool to think about.</p><p>As usual, Charlie brought fish that we could fry for lunch. He and my dad used to be fishing buddies. They would compete against each other to see who would catch either the most fish or the biggest one. Nowadays Charlie had no one to compete with. He had gotten pretty lonely since Dad died, which was why he liked to visit us and have our company.</p><p>Charlie hung out with me at the dinner table while Mom and Leah were in the kitchen frying today's catch.</p><p>"So, Seth, you've been up to anything since I last saw you? Got a girlfriend yet?" Then he added quickly, and kind of sheepishly, "Or a boyfriend? Boyfriend is fine, too."</p><p>"Well, I made a new girl friend." I made sure to emphasize the space between "girl" and "friend."</p><p>"Oh? What's she like?"</p><p>"Wicked smart. She'd been really helping me out with AP Latin."</p><p>Leah gave me a sidelong glance from across the kitchen as she overheard. I knew to word things carefully around my mom. She still couldn't know about Jane.</p><p>"You used to have a tough time with that class, right?" Mom addressed me without looking up from the frying pan. "I'm glad you found someone who could help you."</p><p>"She has helped me in ways none of us would have ever expected," I almost told her, but I chose to keep my mouth shut.</p><p>I thought Mom sounded a teensy bit disappointed that my girl friend wasn't a girlfriend. "You're sweet, bright, and easygoing, the total nice guy package," she once said to me. "Anyone dating you would be the luckiest girl in the world. Or guy, if you roll that way."</p><p>That had made me smile and roll my eyes. "Mom, don't you know that nice guys finish last? Bad boys are all the rage now when it comes to dating material."</p><p>"Oh no, Seth, don't you turn into a bad boy on me." After pretending to scold me, she rested her palm on my cheek and went on with sincerity, "I like you just the way you are. Don't change. I'm sure that someone out there will appreciate you for who you are, too."</p><p>What Mom had said reminded me of what Jane had said more recently at St. Jude: "Your heart is big enough to make room for even my kind. There aren't very many like you."</p><p>Maybe she had said that out of confusion, as if to say that such a person couldn't possibly exist in her world. Or maybe that was a tiny show of appreciation. I don't know.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Alec</strong>
</p><p>The physician who had made his home in the depths of the castle had acquired enough bodies, so the next order from above was to switch back to burying the remains of our meals.</p><p>Our ranks have swelled with new recruits over the past few months. I have hunted often enough with Felix and Demetri to not only hunt on my own with confidence, but occasionally lead some of those new recruits and show them the ropes.</p><p>The most intriguing among them was a Russian vampire named Ilya, who had the ability to strip vampires of their gifts. And, if he wanted, transfer those gifts to others. He could give and take away. A potent ability, to be sure, and I had no doubt that Aro regarded him highly. Ilya's presence demanded everyone in the Volturi to be on their best behavior, or they risked having their gift stolen away as punishment.</p><p>"In my first life, I used to be a photo retoucher during the Great Purge," Ilya once told me. "Doesn't sound too grand, but in a time when Stalin had political enemies left and right and wanted them erased, there's a great deal of power in erasing proof those people had ever existed."</p><p>He was not a man of words, but he let stories and rumors of his gift do the talking. I have not seen him in action yet, but I certainly didn't want to be on the receiving end of his power.</p><p>Another distinguished member among the recruits was Tiago, a vampire from Portugal. At his touch, he could induce the human reaction of briefly falling unconscious. Unlike with Ilya, I had seen Tiago use this gift to subdue an unruly vampire brought before Aro, Marcus, and Caius. Without Jane around to incapacitate the offender with pain, Tiago stepped in to make the vampire slump to the floor before he was dismembered and burned. Tiago used to be a homeless alcoholic, but now as a vampire who could only drink blood, his tendency to drop off the brink of consciousness from drinking manifested into his gift to inflict on others.</p><p>And, unlike Ilya, Tiago could talk up a storm and run like a faucet that couldn't be turned off. I had learned this the hard way during my first hunt with him.</p><p>"Alec, meu menino, you've got to show me how you keep your robes clean during feeding." He preened himself while keeping pace with me on our way out of the castle. "During my newborn days, I didn't care about getting blood on the rags I wore, but the Volturi are really spoiling me with these king's clothes. I really don't know what to do with them!" And he went on and on, so it felt like I was listening to his autobiography.</p><p>I was someone who kept to myself and despised small talk, so having Tiago around stretched my patience to the very limit. At some point, I simply cut off my own sense of hearing so I could tune him out until we had to hunt.</p><p>Jane would have shut him up with a taste of her painful gift after the first sentence. The thought of that almost made me smile.</p><p>The only recruit I was actually interested in talking to was Phuong. She was deeply involved with Jane's undercover mission. As we rotated groups during each hunting, I didn't get to see her often, but I tried to snatch precious moments of conversation if I could.</p><p>After we had our fill, the two of us walked at a human pace down the cobblestone streets of Volterra, as if taking our time to drink in the nighttime view. "Phuong, if I may, I want to ask you something."</p><p>She gestured with a small outward sweep of her hand. "You can ask me anything, Alec. You're higher-ranked than me, after all. Technically you are my superior."</p><p>"Your power to construct personas...I've been wondering how it will affect Jane in the long run."</p><p>"I figured you would be asking about your sister. Well, it depends on how deep she goes into the identity I had made up for her. The deeper she goes, the more disorienting it will be to return to her former self." Phuong must have detected my worry, even under my stoic face, because she added, "Her loyalty to the Volturi is longstanding and quite strong, so I am confident that however entrenched she gets with her act, her loyalty will pull her back to our side."</p><p>"The key to your power is to manipulate only a few memories and facets of one's personality, is that right?"</p><p>She nodded. "Subtlety and nuance is what sells the act. It would be implausible for me to impose a complete 360 on Jane's identity. I couldn't tell her to immediately, wholeheartedly turn her back to the Volturi and embrace the Olympic coven's lifestyle. That goes against her sense of loyalty, her sense of pride. Not to mention the Olympic coven wouldn't buy that kind of conversion. No, the change has to be insidious and gradual. I need to have Jane grapple with her ego and pride to slowly but steadily reach the goal I had set for her."</p><p>I smirked. "You're not wrong about her sense of pride." At the next thought that hit me, I lost my smirk and I knitted my brow. "Let's say that she does succeed in winning over the Olympic coven's trust, perhaps even their affection...if she reciprocates such feelings, will that ruin the restoration of all her memories, her true purpose? How will she know what's real and what's not?"</p><p>"That I can't control," Phuong replied. "That's something she will have to sort out for herself." She flashed me a smile. "But trust in your sister that when the time comes to remember and choose, she will choose the Volturi."</p><p>I nodded to acknowledge her statement, and we said nothing more as we entered the castle. Though I fell silent towards Phuong, my thoughts certainly weren't silent. A year with the Olympic coven couldn't possibly trump a thousand years of service to the Volturi. Still, I didn't want Jane to become so wrapped up in her fake identity that I would lose her.</p><p>I tried to imagine my sister on the other side of the world, mingling with the Olympic coven, embarking on a seemingly earnest attempt to reform. I imagined her true self—the sister I knew and loved—lurking underneath like a predator in camouflage, waiting for the right time to pounce.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>The Cullens decided to take me along and show me their way of hunting. I wasn't particularly thrilled to get a taste of pure animal blood. On the bright side, the coven seemed to extend a gesture of trust as they let me hunt without Bella breathing down my neck. The Cullens did not hunt in a single group, but split into pairs or groups of three. This made sense—fewer vampires in a group meant more prey to share. On my first day of hunting, I was grouped with Alice and Jasper.</p><p>"What do you have a taste for today?" Jasper asked his mate. "It's your call."</p><p>Alice made a thoughtful tilt of her head. "Hmm, I'm feeling black bear." She glanced back to where I was standing behind them. "You're up to it?"</p><p>"I'm up for anything," I replied with smooth confidence. Perhaps she thought I would be intimidated by confronting something large and fierce like a bear. I almost told them that I had singlehandedly taken down a herd of angry, stampeding elephants, but I thought better of it and kept my mouth shut.</p><p>Jasper and Alice, familiar with the scent of black bear, took the lead. It turned out that black bears were common in this area, so it didn't take us long to stumble across one. Or rather, four. Peering down from a rocky ledge, we spotted a black bear lumbering through the forest, followed closely by three cubs.</p><p>"Let's leave them alone," Alice murmured.</p><p>Jasper nodded in agreement. "Way more fish in the sea."</p><p>The mother bear hadn't caught wind of our scent yet, otherwise she would have reared up on her hind legs, foaming at the mouth and ready to defend her cubs. For all her ferocity, a mother bear still wouldn't be able to survive an attack from us, so she wasn't spared because we were cautious. Alice and Jasper wanted to leave the family alone out of kindness. Neither looked like the type that would kill a mother bear in front of her cubs.</p><p>We continued our search, and soon we came across a bear that had just finished swimming through a shallow river. It barely had the chance to shake its dripping fur dry when Alice pounced.</p><p>That bear must be three times her size and five times her weight, yet she took it down with deft twist of its neck. A quick, merciful kill. The only sound coming from the bear was the snap of its neck bones. It was dead before Alice lowered it to the ground. I couldn't help but admire the experienced grace that she possessed. Clearly the Cullens have hunted animals long enough to make it an art.</p><p>Jasper made an inviting gesture to me. "After you."</p><p>I nodded in thanks. He was quite the gentleman. I could see why Alice took a liking to him. We joined her to kneel over the bear's body. First I watched Alice to observe how she fed. To my surprise and disgust, she sunk her teeth right into the bear, hair and all. I hesitated long enough for Jasper to join her, even though he had offered to have me feed before him. I thought they would have at least brought a knife or a razor to shave off the fur. Perhaps I was spoiled by centuries of exposed, bare human necks.</p><p>Finally, I bit into the bear's throat. The hair was bad enough, but that wasn't even the worst part. I nearly gagged as a mouthful of bear blood washed over my palate. There wasn't a drop of human blood to improve the taste.</p><p>I pulled back with a grimace and spat on the ground several times to get bear fur out of my mouth. "How on earth do you drink from this?"</p><p>Alice looked up at me with an amused grin. "You get used to it."</p><p>I felt some hair stuck between my teeth. Absolutely disgusting. Note to self: bring along toothpicks for animal hunts. I tried drinking more of the bear's blood, but the second attempt didn't taste any better than the first. I couldn't bring myself to fill my stomach on this alone. I stepped back to let Alice and Jasper have the rest of the meal.</p><p>"I'm going to need Carlisle's mix when we get back," I admitted to them. I lowered my voice to an embarrassed mutter. "I'm not cut out for this yet."</p><p>"Understandable," Jasper replied. "We didn't expect you to totally convert to animal blood by now. Today's more for showing you how we hunt, but you made good effort to try drinking straight from the prey with us."</p><p>I had heard that Jasper was the newest member in the coven to change his diet, and for a while, he had the least amount of control over his thirst. It made sense why he empathized with my struggle to adjust.</p><p>I returned to the Cullen house, prepared to ask Carlisle to mix a drink for me. I was not prepared, however, to come back to him and Esme presenting me with a gift.</p><p>As I received the small box from them, my fleeting look of confusion wasn't fast enough to escape Rosalie's phone camera.</p><p>"You've proven to be capable of making friends, so we thought it was time you better keep one of these in hand," Edward said.</p><p>I opened up the box to reveal a sleek, black smartphone.</p><p>"It already has all our numbers saved on it," Esme said.</p><p>Emmett quirked a dark eyebrow at me. "You do know how to use one, right?"</p><p>I almost rolled my eyes. "I know how to use a phone," I replied mildly. "I just never had one of my own before."</p><p>"Mom and Dad giving the teenager her first phone...now we can call ourselves a real family," Rosalie teased.</p><p>Jasper extended a hand to me. "May I see it, Jane? There's something I need to check."</p><p>Perplexed, nevertheless I gave him the phone. A few moments and a few swipes later, he made the sort of laugh that came out of his nose instead of his mouth.</p><p>Alice peeked over his shoulder, and she pulled away biting down on her lower lip.</p><p>"What's the fuss all about?" Rosalie came over to look as well, and she leaned back clutching her midriff as she laughed in earnest. "Oh, Emmett."</p><p>Emmett himself stayed quiet, though the muscles twitching along his clenched jaw told me he was doing everything he can not to laugh along with his mate.</p><p>I frowned. "Anyone care to clue me in on what could be so funny?"</p><p>Jasper handed the phone back to me without explaining. The photo album of a new phone was supposed to be empty, but Emmett had taken a thousand photos of himself making weird faces. There were probably three hundred photos of him scowling, around four hundred of him baring his teeth, and maybe three hundred of him sticking his tongue out. I was making rough estimates.</p><p>I kept a straight face, not even cracking a smile. But I turned to him and said, "I guess this is your gift to me."</p><p>"Yup." Emmett couldn't hold in his laughter after that.</p><p>Esme shook her head, though a light smile played at her face. "You all still won't stop teasing Jane, huh?"</p><p>"We can't help it," Rosalie said. "She's such an easy target."</p><p>At least this was a downgrade compared to the more mean-spirited teasing from before. Emmett's photos—selfies, they called it—were just a harmless prank. The Cullens teased each other all the time, as a family would, I supposed. I took that as a good sign that they were warming up to me a little.</p><p>I turned to Carlisle and Esme. "Thank you for the phone. I'll make sure to take good care of it."</p><p>My gratitude was genuine, and the two seemed to appreciate it as they smiled.</p><p>No one in the Volturi owned phones, not even the three rulers. We—or they, I should say—adhered to antiquity and only used modern technology if necessary, such as the occasional elevator in the castle. Aro still preferred writing and receiving letters. That was how he still kept correspondence with Carlisle over the years. Perhaps he was curious on how I was doing with the Cullens. I should write to him soon. I wish that I could call or text Alec, but I couldn't even write a letter to him. Only the rulers were allowed to receive letters.</p><p>As I scrolled through my list of contacts, I noticed that Seth's number was on there. Perhaps he had heard from the Cullens that I was getting a technology upgrade and offered to have his number on my phone. Ever since the incident, the Cullens had discouraged me from contacting Seth via Zoom, since he had to limit his screen time while recovering. Perhaps giving me a phone was their way of permitting me to stay in touch with him.</p><p>On that afternoon, I decided to make Seth the recipient of my very first phone call. He picked up almost right away.</p><p>"Hey, Jane, great to hear from you! I'm glad that the Cullens let you have a phone now."</p><p>"Yes. The other day, Alice and Rosalie took me shopping to get my own clothes. It's a different experience. I've never had my own things before."</p><p>"That's...that's kind of sad. Not having stuff of your own, I mean." He sounded genuinely sorry for me. "Are the Volturi like Jedi where you can't be attached to possessions or something?"</p><p>I frowned. "Jedi? What are you talking about?"</p><p>"Never mind. Star Wars reference." He made an embarrassed chuckle.</p><p>I didn't know what Star Wars was, but I let the subject drop. I traced my finger on the velvety armrest of the sofa. "Anyway, I was calling to ask how you've been doing. I haven't heard from you since...that day."</p><p>"I've been getting better," Seth replied cheerfully. "Sometimes I still get headaches, but nothing crazy like before. Sometimes I get tired too, and I'm so glad that Mom lets me nap whenever now. She used to get on my case about taking long naps in the afternoon."</p><p>Feeling tired, taking naps...I haven't the slightest memory of what that felt like. Sleep seemed like such a bother and a waste of time to a vampire like myself, but I supposed it felt like a relief if you need the rest.</p><p>"Good for you that you're getting the amount of sleep you want," I remarked.</p><p>"Yeah, for sure." There was a pause on the other end, then he said, "So, Jane, I was thinking...when I get totally better, I want to celebrate. And...and I want to show you how to have fun. You know, have fun like a human. Being in the Volturi sounds like all work and no play. If you want to have a life outside of the Volturi, I think you should learn how to have fun."</p><p>"That sounds...interesting," I finally said. "What do you have in mind?"</p><p>"Uh, I don't have everything planned out yet. I'll have to get back to you on that one. I'll try to find things around town that we can do..." Seth fell silent, but only for a moment. "Oh, we could go to a theme park! Ride roller coasters, play games to win those giant stuffed animals, stuff like that. Bet you've never been to a theme park before."</p><p>His enthusiasm bubbled out of him like water from a fountain.</p><p>"You might be getting ahead of yourself here. What would your fellow pack members think if they hear about this? What would the Cullens think?"</p><p>"They can all come along," he said. "Of course it won't be just you and me. It's not like I'm asking you out." His last statement came with a fair bit of stuttering and embarrassment clear in his voice.</p><p>I was not the most informed on contemporary lingo and turns of phrase, but I picked up enough context to know that he didn't want us looking like we were going as a romantic couple. I agreed with him there.</p><p>"I'll go ask the guys and my sister, then. Talk to you later!"</p><p>When he hung up, I told the Cullens about Seth's plan for an outing.</p><p>"That's so nice of him to invite us," Esme said.</p><p>"Theme park, huh? Like Sol Park down by the coast?" Bella smiled at that. "I haven't been there since that one time in high school."</p><p>Renesmee's little face lit up. "It sounds like fun. I want to go!"</p><p>"It's been a while since we all went out together like a family," Carlisle said. "It'd be nice to go somewhere that isn't the house or the hospital."</p><p>The coven seemed to be in enthusiastic agreement about going to this theme park. They would be less willing if Seth wanted to take only me along. They didn't trust me enough to go completely without their supervision. I didn't really mind. Thinking of that bleeding hiker on Mount Rainier reminded me that it was wise to have others around, in case something went awry.</p><p>Having the wolf pack accompany Seth would serve as another buffer between me and him, so their collective wolf musk would make me less tempted to salivate over Seth's blood. I was sure that they would agree to come along for that very reason.</p><p>I had no idea of what to expect, since I didn't really have any idea of what humans did to have fun these days. I expected, however, plenty of surprises.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>It took me almost two weeks to fully recover, ditch the cane, and stop using Paul's snapback. My hair wasn't quite back to the way it was before the incident, but at least I wasn't bald anymore.</p><p>Leah, Jake, and the guys agreed to come along for the big wolf-vamp hangout.</p><p>"Someone's gotta keep you out of trouble," Sam had said gruffly, but the others didn't bother to hide their excitement. They wanted to hang out at Sol Park as much as I did.</p><p>There had to be some planning and coordinating involved, since the pandemic made it harder for a big group like us to just show up at places like the theme park. We had to buy tickets in advance and make reservations. And of course, I made sure to pick an overcast day, out of consideration for the vampires.</p><p>We all met up at Sol Park around mid-morning, when the crowd was at its thinnest. The Cullens showed up wearing hats, coats, and scarves, which weren't out of place because of the fall chill. To keep up appearances, they also wore masks that they didn't need. What surprised me was seeing Jane out of that dark fur-lined coat she had always been wearing.</p><p>"That outfit looks really good on you," I couldn't help saying to her.</p><p>"Oh. Thank you." It took Jane a moment to look down at herself and acknowledge my comment, as if she had forgotten that she was out of her usual getup. Now she had on an off-white cashmere sweater with a red skirt and black leggings.</p><p>The Volturi coat she used to have made her look elevated and regal, almost like a princess of some dark, evil kingdom. Now she looked like she could fit in among humans, more like an ordinary fifteen year-old girl. It was a nice change.</p><p>"You're not looking so shabby yourself," she said. She didn't smile, but the sincerity in her voice was genuine. "I'm glad to hear that you've recovered."</p><p>I beamed at her. "Yeah, today's for celebrating. Commence Operation Human Experience! C'mon, let's get on some roller coasters!"</p><p>I was so excited to show Jane around that I took her hand and pulled her along to get right in line for my favorite ride, the Boardwalk Bullet. I knew that vampires were cold to the touch, but feeling it for myself always surprised me a little. Holding her hand was like pulling along a little marble statue. Her coldness sent a shiver down my arm and up my spine. My hotness must make her feel like fire grabbed her hand.</p><p>She didn't resist, though, and only looked the slightest bit amused at my excitement. Standing in line made us wait in the wooden underbelly of the ride's structure. The roller coaster roared above us, and with it came screams from the riders.</p><p>Jane looked up and raised a delicate eyebrow. "This is what you humans like to do for fun? Strap yourself into a machine that drops you from the air and spins you around for under a minute?"</p><p>I laughed. "Well, when you put it like that, it doesn't sound that fun, but you have to try it for yourself."</p><p>Roller coasters were like cliff diving without getting wet. Like the rest of the guys, I loved the adrenaline rush. Pretending to fly, even if just for a moment, was something that couldn't be put into words.</p><p>Most of the guys and the Cullens got in line with us. Carlisle and Esme waited for us outside. I guess they weren't into the rush of rides. To anyone else, it looked like we were social distancing because of the pandemic, but the pack and the Cullens kept some distance between each other for another reason. Despite our peaceful alliance, there would always be some instinctual tension and repulsion between natural enemies.</p><p>Leah, Jake, and the guys seemed to grill Jane with their eyes as she stood in line next to me, but she seemed to handle being around me well enough. Surrounded by wolves, and wearing a mask covered in Jake's scent, she wouldn't find me very appetizing today. It was like holding a plate of fresh food while sitting inside a dumpster. Hard to drool over that plate when the smell of trash overpowered everything.</p><p>"Are you really not afraid of me?"</p><p>Even with my good hearing, I almost couldn't hear Jane over the whoosh and roar of the roller coaster.</p><p>"You say you're not afraid, but I still have a hard time understanding your line of thinking," she went on. She trained her gaze on the wooden ramp beneath us. "You are a wolf, an apex predator. Under most circumstances, anyway. Now there's something higher on the food chain. Now you are the prey. Aren't your instincts screaming at you to get as far away from me as possible?" Jane finally looked up at me, and confusion swam in her dark red eyes. "How can you even stand to be around me now, thinking of jumping on this ride, when you should be thinking of fight or flight?"</p><p>I shrugged. "I mean, my inner wolf isn't exactly jumping up and down when you and me are standing this close together. But I think you're being a little too reductive, Jane." I smiled at her to show that I wasn't offended or accusing her. "I'm more than a wolf. I'm a guy who can turn into a wolf. And you're more than a vampire. You're a vampire who used to be a fifteen year-old girl. Sometimes you remember what that's like, and the girl shows herself when you want her to. In that way, shapeshifters and vampires aren't so different."</p><p>Jane just stared at me, taken aback. She must have never thought of it that way before.</p><p>"You and I can think beyond our instincts. We can rise above them. I know that because you found it in your heart to save me, and I found it in mine to be grateful for that. I know that you didn't like to hurt me, and I know that you'll do your best not to do it again." I leaned against the rail, not looking at all like I wanted to run away from her hollering my head off. "That's why I'm okay with being around you. How's that for an answer?"</p><p>She crossed her arms and returned her gaze to the wooden planks at our feet, like searching for a refute, but she couldn't come up with anything.</p><p>Before we knew it, we were at the front of the line, ready to hop into the ride. "Come on, Jane, let's get the front row! Those are the best seats in the house." I'd been on this a hundred times, and every time it got my heart hammering against my chest.</p><p>As we strapped in, waiting to launch, Paul let out a piercing, high-pitched scream from the back. Emmett did the same thing. That made us all laugh. Even the strangers strapped in with us laughed. The ride hadn't even started yet. Those two were just doing it to be silly, because hearing big, tough-looking guys scream like sissies was hilarious.</p><p>The roller coaster chugged away and up the ramp. The Boardwalk Bullet had the highest, steepest drop of all the rides in the park. Sitting across from me, Jane actually looked paler than usual as we climbed higher and higher. I don't think I had ever seen her look scared before.</p><p>I had to raise my voice over the wind. "Don't worry, I'll still be right beside you."</p><p>We peaked, and then we plummeted like a stone. I threw up my hands in the air and whooped. We zipped through twists and turns, through two vertical loops and another big drop toward the end. The drop in my stomach, the wind pulling at my hair, the thrill of surging at highway speed...I lived for that stuff. Before I knew it, it was over. We skidded to a halt, and I looked over at Jane as we got out of the harnesses.</p><p>"Well, what do you think?" I asked.</p><p>She smoothed back wind-swept hair and the ruffles on her sweater. Her voice shook a little. "That was...I can see why humans like these rides so much. It's exhilarating."</p><p>I wanted to pump my fist in victory. "I'm so glad you liked it!"</p><p>"It's over so quickly, though."</p><p>"See, that's where they get you. Makes you wanna ride it over and over again, huh?"</p><p>"Didn't you say that the Boardwalk Bullet has the biggest drop? If I could handle this, I could handle all the other rides around here."</p><p>I had to smile at her confidence. "For sure. We'll definitely go around on all of them today. Come on, I'll take you to my second favorite one."</p><p>The line to Boardwalk Bullet zigzagged up several flights to the ride itself, though the line to Riptide curved around in a circle.</p><p>"This one has no big drops, but it spins you around and around like a Beyblade," I said.</p><p>"Like a what?"</p><p>I laughed. "Never mind." I had to stop with the geeky references, but I couldn't help myself.</p><p>The looping line around Riptide, with only metal fencing between those waiting and the bystanders, meant that Esme could come up to me with no problem.</p><p>"I took a couple of pictures of you all at the big drop," she said, and showed us her phone. She had caught me with my hands in the air, and Jane had her eyes squeezed shut. Several carts behind us, Emmett and Rosalie had actually looked right into the camera, posing with winks and thumbs up.</p><p>"These are so great," I told her. "Could you please send them over to my phone?"</p><p>"Of course."</p><p>Jane peered unhappily at herself with her eyes closed. "Delete that one."</p><p>"No way, you look adorable," I said.</p><p>"It looks embarrassing," she shot back, and put her hands on her hips. "Next time we get on Boardwalk Bullet, I'm going to keep my eyes open."</p><p>"That's the spirit!"</p><p>When we got on Riptide, I made sure that Jane sat inside, closer to the center, while I sat outside. The ride spun pretty hard at the end. As the bigger, heavier one, I didn't want to crush Jane if we switched spots. As the Riptide spun to life, my world quickly became a blur flipping between blinking lights and a gray smear from the overcast sky. At the last big spin, the centripetal force made Jane slide up against my side.</p><p>With everything else swirling out of focus around me, her face was the only thing I could see the clearest. She was squinting against the wind. Strands of her hair came free from the tied ribbon that kept them back. The mask hid the lower half of her face, but with my sharp hearing, I caught the faintest breathless laugh from her. She had the most musical laugh, kind of like the tinkling of a wind chime, and that made me grin from ear to ear. Seemed like she was having fun. Operation Human Experience was going well.</p><p>I came out of that ride with my head spinning, but not spinning so much that I was unable to walk straight. I was going to jump onto the third ride, but my stomach growled to remind me of food.</p><p>"I'm gonna grab a hot dog, then we'll walk around and check out the carnival games," I told Jane, and she nodded. Much as I loved rides, I needed a little break in between.</p><p>Leah and the guys looked like they would rather enjoy a little break too. We formed a long line at the hot dog stand. Jared and Embry liked to get super competitive, and already they shot off to make bets against each other at the games.</p><p>At the stand, I watched the guy behind it pile everything on my hot dog, just the way I like it.</p><p>"It's too bad you can't eat," I said to Jane. "If you could, I definitely would have included it as part of Operation Human Experience."</p><p>It really was too bad that she had to miss out on eating and drinking, the simple pleasures of human life. It would have been neat to show her a revolving sushi bar, Korean-Mexican fusion, or liquid nitrogen ice cream.</p><p>I pulled off my mask to take a first big bite out of my hot dog, which sent my taste buds straight up to heaven. "Mmf, this is the good stuff."</p><p>Jane stared at all the ketchup, mustard, and relish that almost ran down into my fingers. "That just looks like a steaming hot mess to me."</p><p>I fumbled for a napkin. "Yeah, hot dogs can get kinda messy, but it's worth the mess."</p><p>"I can't even remember what human food tastes like anymore," she said wistfully. "And even back in my day, when I could eat, food wasn't packed to the brim with flavor."</p><p>"Where were you from, Jane? Before Italy, I mean."</p><p>I walked along slowly while eating my hot dog, and she kept pace while staying a safe arm's length away from me.</p><p>"I'll give you a hint: even today my country has a bad reputation where food is concerned."</p><p>I chewed and swallowed before I took a guess. "Er, I'm guessing the UK."</p><p>"England, to be exact. But you're right, more or less."</p><p>"How come you don't really have an English accent anymore?"</p><p>"I have lived in Italy far longer than I've been in England, and I've traveled all over the world on behalf of the Volturi, so my way of speaking is all over the place."</p><p>No wonder why I couldn't place the accent when it came to Jane. She said certain words the American way, some words the British way, and other words under vaguely, miscellaneously European.</p><p>I was going to ask her something when two boys of about six or seven almost ran right into her. Being a vampire, she had quick enough reflexes to see them coming and smoothly step aside. They shot past us, still playing their game of chase. A woman, probably their mom, stormed after them and shouted at them in Spanish. I knew enough to figure out she was saying "Boys, for the last time, stop running in the park—" Then she noticed Jane and said "sorry" many times in heavily accented English.</p><p>"It's all right, don't worry about it," Jane replied in perfect Spanish.</p><p>We continued our walk. "Just how many languages do you know?" I asked. "You know English, Latin, and I heard Spanish just now."</p><p>She paused before answering. "That's a very broad question," she finally replied. "I've picked up many languages in varying degrees of fluency. The ones I'm most familiar with are English and Italian. Next in line are the romance languages: Spanish, French, Portuguese, Romanian. Further down the list are the ones used widely around the world: Russian, Mandarin, Hindi, Arabic. German and Greek, I know a fair amount from plays and operas. I used to speak plenty of Japanese, back when Children of the Moon ran rampant in Japan. Now that they're nearly extinct, I hardly use it these days..." Jane trailed off as she caught me gawking at her.</p><p>"Okay, I take back what I asked. The real question is: what language <em>don't</em> you know?"</p><p>My disbelief probably made her smirk under her mask.</p><p>"For many centuries I've served as one of the Volturi's most powerful agents. That comes with acting as a sort of spokesperson to reinforce vampire law across the world. I had to make sure the message was very clear. In the pre-modern era, before technology made communication much easier, there were more language barriers to contend with. Nowadays, when English has taken over a more globalized world, I no longer have to be as versatile."</p><p>"Makes sense," I said.</p><p>Jane slanted a glance over at me. "What about you? Surely your tribe must have its own language. Do you speak it?"</p><p>I looked down at my shoes. "The Quileute language is extinct now."</p><p>"I see. No thanks to efforts from people who look like me, I assume."</p><p>I didn't say anything to deny her claim. There was no smugness in her voice. No outright sympathy, either. Just dry matter-of-fact. Speaking the truth. I hunched my shoulders and shoved my hands into my pockets. Learning about colonial history when I was a kid had always put me down in the dumps. Jane didn't pursue the touchy subject, and silence was like a third person walking between us.</p><p>Unlike with singing, she seemed to look at her skill with languages as more of a tool than a passion, just a means to an end. But I was still pretty impressed at how worldly and well-traveled she had been. Maybe I could study anthropology in college, and after that, go out to see the world just like Jane had.</p><p>I looked up at the sunset, at the twinkle of stars against a darkening sky. Thinking about just how much bigger the world was outside La Push, that little place I had known all my life, floored me sometimes.</p><p>I looked down and over at Jane. She had stopped to observe the carnival games. Embry howled in defeat over at the ring toss with Jared. Quil and Sam were trying but failing to beat Leah at shooting baskets. To anyone else, a girl like Jane didn't look out of place amid the food stands, roller coasters, and games, because teens loved theme parks. But I knew better. To be stuck in a fifteen year old's body and voice for at least a thousand years, to know and see as much as she had...that was both amazing and sad to me.</p><p>Maybe this was the first time in forever that Jane let herself loose, and let herself have fun.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Jane's proficiency with many languages is another headcanon of mine. It makes sense for me that if she's been going around enforcing Volturi authority all over the world, she had to have picked up a couple of languages to do her job. Not everyone spoke English, especially before phones and computers. Jane's comment regarding Japanese and Russian is foreshadowing, by the way. ;)</p><p>Sol Park is a theme park that I made up. Luna Park is a real theme park in Washington state that only lasted from 1907 to 1913.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Trigger/content warning: details of sexual assault in Alec's POV.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>Strolling through the park's carnival games felt like stepping into a whirlwind of artificial noise and colors. There came the pop of fake guns, the clink of plastic rings against glass bottles, the clatter of balls being tossed into baskets, and most of all, groans of defeat from people who tried and failed to win.</p><p>It only took a cursory sweep of my sharp vampiric gaze to figure out a pattern among these games. "They're all rigged, aren't they?" I asked Seth.</p><p>He chuckled. "Yeah, but that's the fun of it. Where's the fun in a game that's too easy?" He stuffed the last of the hot dog into his mouth. "Anything catch your eye? Play whatever you want, and I'll pay."</p><p>I said nothing as I walked at a human pace and looked around for something that would interest me.</p><p>"Dang, that's still here?"</p><p>Seth's exclamation made me stop and follow his gaze. He was gawking at the largest stuffed bear I had ever seen in my life. It hung from the rack as one of the top game prizes.</p><p>"I was ten when I last came to Sol Park. This is the exact same bear I saw back then. No one's won it in five years." He grabbed the sides of his head. "Just look at the size of that thing, Jane. It's almost as big as you!"</p><p>I frowned at the sheer impracticality of it. "Why on earth would you need a stuffed animal this big?"</p><p>Unlike me, he looked at it with longing. "You can sleep on it, chill on it, use it like a pillow in the living room..."</p><p>I smirked. "Oh, that's right. You like to nap, don't you?" I shrugged. "Since no one else could do it, I will win that prize for you."</p><p>His eyes lit up. "That'd be awesome! I want to see you try."</p><p>Seth paid the young man running the stand, and I was given three darts. I turned them over in my fingers and looked up at the board littered with balloons.</p><p>"Looks straightforward," I remarked. "I pop a balloon to win the prize, right?"</p><p>"Yeah, you get three chances," Seth said. "You only need to pop one balloon, but there's a catch..."</p><p>I nodded. I knew what he meant. It wasn't obvious to feeble human eyes, but I noticed that the balloons sagged a bit. They were not blown to their maximum capacity, which made them much harder to pierce, therefore harder to win. So I was being cheated. Well, two can play that game. It'll take cheating to win against cheating.</p><p>I flung the first dart into the blue balloon directly across from me. The average human throw wasn't strong enough, but with enhanced strength in the flick of my wrist, I sent the dart straight through the balloon.</p><p>The game runner's eyes flew wide at the sound of the pop. His surprised face then swung to me. Clearly he wasn't used to seeing winners at this game.</p><p>Seth pumped his fist. "Nice, Jane! That bear's ours!"</p><p>His two friends, who were playing games nearby, dropped whatever they were doing to join us at our game counter.</p><p>"Whoa, Seth, did you really just win that huge teddy bear?" the long-haired one exclaimed. "The one nobody could get?"</p><p>"Not me, Jane."</p><p>I looked back at his friends, then turned to the young man who still stood in disbelief. "One prize per popped balloon, is that right? Does that mean I could get up to two more prizes if I pop two more balloons?"</p><p>He blinked several times and sounded like he had lost his tongue for a few moments. "Uh, yeah, technically you could."</p><p>"Jared, Embry, take your picks," Seth said. "Jane's going to win them for you."</p><p>"Sweet! Uh, I want that elephant."</p><p>"I want the wolf."</p><p>"Wow, Jared, real original."</p><p>"It's for Kim, okay?"</p><p>While Seth's friends made their choices, I had already popped a balloon with each throw. I gestured to the rack of prizes. "All yours," I said, and they were practically skipping with glee as the game runner took down the stuffed wolf and elephant for them.</p><p>The giant bear was lowered last. At first he tried to give it to me, but as I stumbled back and could barely wrap my arms around it, Seth stepped in to get it off my hands.</p><p>"Jeez louis, it really is your size," he said with a laugh. "It almost made you fall over!"</p><p>Seth was tall, certainly much taller than me, but even he somewhat struggled to balance the bear in his hands. He had to peek around its neck to see where he was going. It was hard to watch him without smiling.</p><p>His friends thanked me for the prizes, and with an added serious note, they thanked me for saving him the other day. Taken aback at their second thanks, I just nodded before they ran off to resume their competition on other games.</p><p>"One game is enough for me," I told Seth, and shot him a mischievous glance. "We won't have enough hands for more prizes if I keep winning."</p><p>His eyes crinkled as he grinned. "You're right. Wasn't that fun, though?"</p><p>"Fun to cheat the system? Yes."</p><p>That made him laugh. "How about we go down to the docks? All kinds of ships sail by, and I love the way the moonlight hits the waves."</p><p>Heading for the docks meant leaving behind the chaotic swirl of noises and lights from the games. No one followed us on the way. I assumed that we wouldn't be wandering off too far to stir up any concern. The inlet ahead of us marked the end of the theme park. Half moon hung far above our heads, its light coating the crests of gently lapping waves like fresh snow. Yachts and party boats, alight in festive colors and carrying the beat of pop music, glided up and down the inlet.</p><p>The lights reflected in Seth's dark eyes. "Magical, isn't it?"</p><p>I nodded.</p><p>Walking along the inlet meant being one level below the rest of the park. That level was formed by concrete about my height, and sectioned off only by ropes and poles. A little girl—just over a year old, I guessed—wandered away from her parents and stumbled under the rope. Out of instinct, I broke away from Seth's side and lunged forward at breakneck speed, just as she took her first step into thin air. She fell right into my arms.</p><p>It happened within a split of a second. It took the toddler and her parents another second to realize what had happened. She clutched at my sweater and started to cry, while her mother and father peered down crying out in mixed alarm and relief.</p><p>"There, there, you're all right," I murmured to the girl.</p><p>I checked her over as I gently bounced her in my arms. No bruises or scrapes. I readjusted my hold to lift her up, and her father knelt down to take her from me.</p><p>"Thank you, thanks so much," he said.</p><p>"Not a problem," I replied with a shake of my head.</p><p>"We're so glad you were right there," the mother exclaimed.</p><p>I didn't correct her. Let the humans think they knew what they saw. I had the cloak of night on my side to shield my swiftness from weak human sight.</p><p>I watched the parents return to the park with their sniffling child before I turned back to Seth, who had evidently been staring wide-eyed at me the whole time.</p><p>"Wow, Jane, that was amazing."</p><p>"It was nothing. You had your hands full, and I'd hate to have that girl broken and bleeding on me."</p><p>"No, I mean, the way you held her and got her to stop crying...I had no idea you knew how to handle little kids."</p><p>I crossed my arms over my chest. "Come now, you know I can do far more impressive things than that."</p><p>"Not everyone has a way with kids," he insisted. "You looked like a natural at it. You must've had experience, right?"</p><p>Irritation spiked out of me before I could fight it back. "I told you, it was nothing," I snapped.</p><p>Seth ducked behind the huge stuffed bear in his arms. "Sorry," he said from behind it.</p><p>I huffed out a sigh and glared at the waves, disappointed at myself for losing my temper. "Just forget it," I muttered.</p><p>We continued our walk down the docks, and he didn't bring it up again. An uncomfortable silence settled in between us, but I was the first to break through it.</p><p>"Seth, it's not your fault. It's mine. I'm not ready to talk about it. Not yet." I looked up at him, at how young and innocent he looked, especially with that giant stuffed bear in his arms. "There's a lot about me you don't know. And I don't know if <em>you're</em> ready to hear it."</p><p>"Sure, Jane," he said softly. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'd never want to make you upset or uncomfortable."</p><p>I closed my eyes and sighed. "I know."</p><p>"That's the last thing I want to make you feel today."</p><p>I tried to meet his eyes, and found that I couldn't hold his gaze for long. I was used to having people direct all their fear, hatred, and anger at me. The naked sincerity and empathy brimming in those dark eyes of his were too much for me to bear. My gaze wandered back to the park.</p><p>"Aren't there still some rides you wanted to show me?" I asked him. "We'd better get through them all before the park closes."</p><p>My half-hearted attempt to change the subject and lighten up the mood was rewarded with an enthusiastic nod from Seth.</p><p>Jacob and Renesmee, wiped out from all the rides they went through, were more than happy to hold onto Seth's giant stuffed bear and admire it while we took our turn. The roller coasters, which swung us up, down, and every which conceivable direction, provided ample distraction from thinking about the toddler I had saved.</p><p>On my second turn at Boardwalk Bullet, I made sure not to shut my eyes at the big drop.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>I had snuck in a photo of Jane trying to take the humongous teddy bear from the guy managing the balloon dart game. The way she bent back almost 90 degrees under the bear, that look of utter panic and confusion on her face...it was priceless. I was going to keep that photo a secret, otherwise she'd make me delete it.</p><p>That moment when she caught the little girl who fell, though...I hadn't used the camera on my phone for that, but honestly, I didn't need it. I'll remember that moment forever. I didn't see a vampire who had gotten her hands on prey. I saw a girl who had saved an even smaller girl. Under the glow of moonlight, when the poor kid started crying, I caught the softest, warmest look on Jane's face before she handed the kid back to her parents.</p><p>There was something else to the look on her face, too. A kind of fondness that looked...sisterly? Motherly? But she never told me she had a kid brother or sister, only a twin brother. And she looked way too young to have been a mom.</p><p>Still, I think I had just gotten a glimpse of humanity that, until now, had been buried deep inside Jane for a long, long time.</p><p>That kid wasn't the only one who had fallen tonight. That moment made me fall in love with Jane.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Alec</strong>
</p><p>As the highest-ranking member of the Volturi guard, I had little time for leisure. Whenever I was granted such times by my masters, however, I liked to make good use of them in the castle library.</p><p>I sat in the library now, rereading one of my favorite books: a volume on Arthurian tales. I have been on this earth for a little more than a thousand years, yet grand stories of noble knights and their deeds worthy of fame and song never failed to enthrall me. I would forever have the mind and sensibilities of a fifteen year-old boy.</p><p>It had all started with my father, a Frankish knight. He wasn't home very often, since he had to be away on campaigns and fighting enemies on foreign lands. In our childhood, Jane and I used to imagine and play out what that was like. We had tied blankets to our necks to make capes. Father had carved little, flat wooden swords for us before he left. Sometimes we wore helmets by putting bowls for porridge over our heads. We used to drive our mother mad when our pretend swordplay got out of hand in the house.</p><p>Like almost all boys of my age and from my time, I had wanted to be a knight. I had wanted to be just like my father, to be chivalrous, courageous, and righteous, to use my sword and shield to defend the weak and defeat evil. Jane, being the bold and free-spirited girl she once was, had wanted to be a knight, too. Unlike most boys, I had never told her no, or that girls couldn't be knights. I let her play and pretend to fight alongside me. We were always Sir Alec and Sir Jane.</p><p>What foolish children we had been. We have become things far from knights. Those children had died in the fire, and we had emerged as creatures that thirsted after blood, and inspired fear and terror. We went on to attain fame, but not the kind for heroes. We became mighty and powerful, though we had never fought a day in our lives. With our gifts, there was no need for us to fight.</p><p>Our father had died early in our childhood, when we were six years old. He was killed in battle, buried in foreign land, and only news of his passing was brought home to us. Sometimes I wondered what he would think if he could see me and Jane now. Would he pity us for the dark turn in our lives that we had no control over? Or would he be horrified at what we've become? I was glad that I didn't know the answer.</p><p>The time of knights had long passed. They only lived on in the stories I held in my hands. Jane and I were born and raised as illiterate peasants, so it was Aro who had taught us how to read. I owed him my eternal gratitude for opening up the world of written words to me. Jane merely used books as an aid in fostering what she truly enjoyed and what she deemed useful: singing and multilingual proficiency, respectively. I, on the other hand, continued to enjoy reading simply for the sake of reading.</p><p>Returning to the stories of King Arthur time and time again became a guilty pleasure of mine. Usually they brought me back to simpler times, to happier times, when all Jane and I thought about were our adventures as knights to slay the imaginary dragon.</p><p>On rare occasions, like tonight, reading about knights turned out to sour my mood rather than lift it. Like an uninvited guest, memory of the bridge incident sprang unbidden to the current of my thoughts. That in turn took me back to memories of my nephew, Jane's son. If I hadn't been too deep in my daydreaming in the forest, he wouldn't have been born.</p><p>I could have made all the difference. I should have stayed with Jane to watch over her while she picked flowers for our mother. I could have been ready to defend her from the village boys. Instead, like the huge fool I was, I went on ahead to keep playing the knight. I had charged through the forest as if on a horse, swinging around my stick for a sword, pretending I was something I could never be.</p><p>Her screams had torn me out of my flighty dreams. The village boys had muffled her with their hands, but her screams still came to me loud and clear through the mental bond we shared. She had been crying out to me for help.</p><p>When the time came for me to truly be a hero, to save my sister, it was too late. On that day, even before we were to be accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake, I knew then that I could never be a knight.</p><p>I didn't deserve Jane's cry of relief as I had fallen to my knees by her side. I didn't deserve her tears of joy as I had brushed the dirt from her face and hair.</p><p>"I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." I had told her this over and over.</p><p>She had shaken her head at me. "It's not you. It's them."</p><p>Her voice had been hoarse from screaming. I had tried to help her up, but the boys had been so rough with her that she couldn't even stand.</p><p>I had to carry her in my arms, all the way from the forest and back to our home. No one in the village had made any move to help me. They had just looked at us with scorn and disgust. Our mother had to open the door to the two of us looking and feeling the worst we ever had in our human lives. I could barely see her horrified face through my tears. Once she had relieved me of holding onto Jane, I realized I had her blood soaked into my sleeves.</p><p>"Is there anything I can do for her?" I had asked with a lump in my throat. "Anything at all?"</p><p>"No, dear, you've done everything you could," our mother had said. "Go get washed and cleaned outside." She had helped Jane lie down, then started to pull up her dress to get a better look at the damage. That had prompted me to leave them to their privacy.</p><p>I had stepped away from the house and pulled off my shirt, but I couldn't bring myself to wash it. Instead I had just stared into it, numb to the biting chill of autumn's arrival on my bare skin. I had cursed the village boys for what they did to my sister. Most of all I had cursed myself.</p><p>The shirt I had worn turned into the book of Arthurian tales as I shut it closed with more force than necessary. Jerked back to the present day, I looked around to see if anyone had noticed my lapse in control.</p><p>Marcus was standing by the shelf of Elizabethan era books. For how long, I wasn't sure. He came and went even more quietly than I did. He looked up from the book he had open in his hands, looked over at me for the briefest moment.</p><p>I hunched a little lower in my seat. "Pardon the disturbance, Master," I murmured.</p><p>"As you were, young Alec," he said dismissively.</p><p>I studied him as he returned to his reading. I had never dared to use my gift on him, yet he carried on as if his senses were constantly cut off from the rest of the world. Everyone in the Volturi knew of the tragedy behind his current state. The loss of his mate cut into him so deeply that not even Corin, with her gift of stirring up content, could heal his wound. All she could do was lift his depression into apathy on the best of days.</p><p>Sometimes I dared to consider the possibility of losing my sister one day. If that day ever came, perhaps I would end up like Marcus. Aro would consider me far too valuable to grant me the wish of taking my own life. I would probably cut off my own senses, to try numbing myself from the terrible pain of losing the only family I had left in the world.</p><p>Just thinking of that made my unbeating heart wrench in my chest. I pitied Marcus for the terrible reality he had to endure for centuries.</p><p>My leisure time was nearly up, and I was due to return to the throne room soon. I tucked the book I'd been reading back to its place on the shelf and left the library. It had been nearly half a year since Jane began her mission. I was starting to grow anxious for her return. Our days of pretending to be Sir Alec and Sir Jane were long gone, but our service to the Volturi had always been as guardians of unwritten law, enforcing our hold on the vampire world side by side.</p><p>Being in the Volturi had taught me that there is no good and evil, only the strong and the weak. Jane and I were among the strongest. There was no room in this cruel, ugly world for knights. There never had been.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So there's my headcanon for Alec: that he's a studious bookworm. I thought that would fit his quiet and calculating demeanor. I also thought that his love for reading would make a good opportunity to slip in the knight motif, which will come more into play after the first arc of the story.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Trigger/content warning: details of sexual assault in Jane and Seth's POVs.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>When the theme park closed, the Cullens and the wolf pack went their separate ways at the parking lot, but not before the rest of the pack coming up to thank me for saving Seth.</p><p>They were awkward about it as I was, none of us able to raise our voices above a mumble and meet the other's eyes. Sam, Paul, Jared, Embry, and Quil...I tried to remember their names after they had introduced themselves. Seth's older sister, Leah, was the last to thank me.</p><p>"I didn't like that you had to hurt him," she said gruffly, "but you did what you had to do because there was no other way. If it weren't for you, he wouldn't be standing here with us. So thanks a lot."</p><p>Of everyone in the pack, I understood her the most. We both had little brothers we loved dearly and protected fiercely. Her words would have been my own if I had been in her shoes. I was able to meet her eyes and acknowledge her gratitude with a nod.</p><p>Seth came up to me, but not too close, still holding that ridiculously huge bear. "Bye, Jane. I had a blast. Hope you had fun, too."</p><p>A mask covered the lower half of his face, though I thought I spotted some hint of redness on the top of his cheeks. I thought I heard a quickening of his heartbeat as well, when our eyes met.</p><p>"I did enjoy myself today," I replied. "Thank you for showing me the park." As he ran after the pack to their cars, I had to add a teasing remark: "I hope you have room in your house for that bear."</p><p>"Trust me, I'll make room," he shouted over his shoulder.</p><p>I waited until I went home with the Cullens to draw Edward aside in the living room. "So, mind-reader, care to tell me what was going on with Seth back there?"</p><p>I didn't know what to make of the ambivalent expression on his face.</p><p>"I don't think I have the right to tell you," he finally replied. "That's something you have to ask him yourself." Though his face was set in stone, a twinkle in his golden eyes betrayed the faintest amusement. He left it at that, leaving me perplexed, and he wouldn't bring it up anymore.</p><p>Carlisle mixed a third of deer blood into my drink tonight. After swallowing it down, I headed to the guest bathroom to check on my progress. The only use I would ever have for a bathroom was for its mirror.</p><p>I was in for a surprise when I noticed an amber shade creeping into the usual redness of my eyes. I leaned in over the sink for a better look. It wasn't very obvious, but there was some amber in my eyes, all right. A sure sign of good progress I was making.</p><p>Seth contacted me two weeks later, telling me through text that he'd be fishing at a pier that was neither on reservation land nor Cullen territory. By this time the coven trusted me enough to get out of the house without supervision, provided that I had the foolproof wolf-scented mask and I didn't go too far for too long. I agreed to meet Seth, though I wondered to myself why he would want to see just me.</p><p>At the crack of dawn, I slipped on a sheepskin coat that Alice had helped me pick, then I set out on foot to hike some ways through the forest to meet him. He was already at the pier, perching off the end of it with a fishing pole in his hands. His cooler and tackle box sat nearby. He turned halfway at my approach.</p><p>"Hey, g'morning. Glad you could make it."</p><p>"What are you doing all the way out here?" I asked.</p><p>"Long story."</p><p>"I have all the time in the world to hear it."</p><p>He made a small smile at that, then an unusual seriousness fell over his face as he stared over the water. "Just gotta get away from family and friends today. Well, I mean, I consider you a friend, Jane, but I meant friends from the pack. Today is the anniversary of my dad's death."</p><p>"My condolences," I said softly.</p><p>He started to blink hard. "Whenever it comes around, my mom and sister kind of smother me and coddle me, and the guys do it, too. They're always asking how I'm doing, if I'm okay, if I need anything, yada yada. Don't get me wrong, I love them all, but what I need is just some time alone. So that's why I'm out here by myself, fishing."</p><p>He sniffed and cleared his throat. "I didn't tell anyone that you'd be here with me. I don't mind having you around. You're kind of cool and distant, just the kind of person I'd be fine with on a day like this."</p><p>I pulled my hands out of my coat pockets to lean against the wooden railing, watching Seth reel in the line a bit. I remained silent and didn't pry him for details. I let him take his time saying whatever he wanted to tell me.</p><p>"Dad's the reason why I became a wolf. Actually, Leah was the one who changed first. No one would have ever expected that in a million years. There's never been a female wolf in our tribe's history, you see. So when she changed right there in the house, right in front of Dad, he had a heart attack. And when I had heard that he died, it was my turn to change."</p><p>Seth hadn't been a wolf for very long at all. To be changed at such a young age, so suddenly, out of his will and control...in that way, he wasn't very different from me. I thought that the wolf had always been in his blood, but I realized that it had taken something like a tragedy to force it out from within him.</p><p>I looked at Seth in a new light. A sympathetic light. He wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. Not at first glance. Loss and pain had literally shaped him into something else.</p><p>"Can I ask you about your parents, Jane? Are they...are they vampires like you and your brother?"</p><p>I shook my head. "They were human, and they've been dead for a very long time."</p><p>"Tell me...after a thousand years, does it get any easier?" Seth slid his gaze from the end of his fishing line to me, and tears that haven't yet fallen made his dark eyes waver.</p><p>I couldn't hold his gaze for long. I averted my stare to the water before us, where his fishing line disappeared. "I wish I could say yes," I murmured.</p><p>He seemed to appreciate my honesty. He returned his focus to the dawn-hued waters and nodded slowly. He wiped a sleeve over his eyes. Then the fishing rod jerked and curved into a deep arc, and he sprang into action.</p><p>"Oh, I think I got a big one," he cried.</p><p>He reeled in his line furiously, thrust into a tug of war with whatever got caught in the hook. A bright red and green fish as long as my arm burst out of the water. Seth whooped as he reeled it in. "Wow, look at the size and color of this thing!"</p><p>He grunted as he hauled its flopping body onto the pier and wrestled the hook out of its mouth. "Check it out, Jane. It's a male sockeye salmon. They're pretty common in these waters. Not my first time getting one, but this might be my biggest catch yet."</p><p>"Congratulations," I said.</p><p>I didn't know anything at all about fishing, but big fish could only be a good thing.</p><p>Seth lugged it over to the cleaning station: a shallow white basin lined with several faucets fixed into the neck of the pier. "Dad loved to fish and bring in his catch for us to cook. I'm getting better at it. I bet he'd be proud to see me land this big guy."</p><p>He pulled out a knife from his tackle box and began the process of cleaning and gutting the salmon.</p><p>"Careful with that," I warned him. "I'm the last person you want around if you cut yourself."</p><p>He paused in his messy work to flash me a million dollar smile. "Don't worry, I won't slip." As Seth was pulling out the entrails, he drew out a plastic cup to collect the blood, and handed the cup over to me. "How about some morning 'coffee'? You ever had fish blood before?"</p><p>I took the cup and wrinkled my nose. "No, but I don't think I would like it." For his amusement and to satisfy his curiosity, I gave it a try anyway. I pulled down my mask to sip from the cup. Then I promptly turned away and spat over the wooden rail.</p><p>Seth burst into such earnest, infectious laughter that it was impossible for me to be mad at him.</p><p>"Even worse than deer blood," I remarked.</p><p>He was laughing so hard that he bent over clutching his stomach. "I...I wouldn't know," he managed to say.</p><p>I shoved the cup back at him with a devilish grin. "Try it, then. Suffer with me."</p><p>His face blanched with horror. "Ew, no!" But he tried it as well, and he pulled a face before spitting and gagging over the rail. "Ugh, yuck, oh God," he choked out.</p><p>He grabbed a bottle of water to rinse his mouth, and it was my turn to laugh.</p><p>"That makes two of us," he finally said. As he packed the salmon into his cooler, the laughter faded from his eyes. "Thanks for hanging out with me here. You know, Jane, you're not so bad to be around."</p><p>"I can think of many, many others who would disagree."</p><p>"Before you came to the Cullens, maybe."</p><p>I accompanied him as we walked down the pier toward firm ground. Though Seth had washed his hands at the cleaning station, the pungent smell of fish still clung onto him.</p><p>"Hey, Jane, what did you want to be when you grow up? Before you became a vampire, I mean. I'm pretty sure becoming a vampire wasn't what you had in mind when you were a kid, right?"</p><p>"You really want to know?" I shook my head. "It's so silly."</p><p>"Well, now you got me real curious."</p><p>"I wanted to be a knight," I admitted, "like my father."</p><p>His voice went soft with awe. "Your dad was a real knight? That's so cool."</p><p>I chuckled. "It <em>was</em> very cool. Alec and I really looked up to him. He was kind, brave, and strong. I remember he carried around a sword taller than me." The smile died on my face. "He was killed in battle when I was six. Life for my family took a turn for the worse since then. He couldn't be around to protect me and Alec from how the village treated us."</p><p>Seth continued to look curious, but he didn't ask what I meant by that, likely out of respect I had given to him before. Once we got off the pier, he pointed to the meadow on our left. "Hey, you need to check out that place. Have you ever run through a whole field of dandelions?"</p><p>Sure enough, when we walked over, we faced an entire stretch of land coated in dandelions. Even the soft morning breeze was enough to send some seeds floating into the air. Seth lowered his tackle box and cooler to waltz into the field. He stopped to spin in place. His face lit up with delight as he sent a cloud of dandelion seeds bursting upward.</p><p>"Don't zip through like a vampire," he called to me. "Run at human speed. Then you can see how beautiful it is."</p><p>I followed his suggestion, and waded through the fluffy white field at a human pace, almost in slow motion to me. When I spun around, the long ends of my coat sent up even more of the seeds into flight. They floated higher and higher, and against a sky still dark from the waning night, the dandelions looked like stars. We drank in the sight with silent appreciation.</p><p>It was indeed quite beautiful.</p><p>Seth ran fingers through his short, dark hair. "Great, now it looks like I have dandruff."</p><p>A sudden streak of playfulness compelled me to grab a fistful of seeds from the air and fling them at him.</p><p>"Hey," he cried out, and laughed as he flung some right back at me.</p><p>We broke into our natural speed and agility as we played a game of chase and lobbed dandelion seeds at each other. I proved to be the more relentless one. Seth rolled onto the ground, out of the dandelion field, and threw up his hands.</p><p>"Okay, okay, I give up! You win!"</p><p>I relented and let my hands fall to my sides. "I like it when I win," I said smugly.</p><p>He was covered in so much of the fluff that he looked like a sheep. He shuffled back up into a sitting position and leaned against a fir trunk, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. "Looks like you can still act your age sometimes." He sounded pleased about that.</p><p>"It doesn't happen very often." I sat down and leaned back against a fir tree across from him. "I had to grow up fast."</p><p>As Seth was pulling dandelions out of his hair and sweater, I lifted my gaze to the Pacific Northwest treetops. "This looks a lot like the forest by the village I had come from," I said wistfully. "I used to go to that forest and pick my mother's favorite flowers."</p><p>"What kind of flowers did your mom like?"</p><p>"Kingcups. Little, common yellow flowers, nothing too grand, but she loved them still. I liked to pick them in the forest because that's where they were the most abundant. The forest was the one place my brother and I could go to escape."</p><p>"Escape from what?"</p><p>I narrowed my eyes. "The people in our own village. Their fear of us, their hatred."</p><p>Seth frowned. "Why would they fear and hate you? Weren't you two human back then?"</p><p>"Twins aren't looked upon kindly in my time," I explained with patience. "The simple fact that Alec and I were born together, on the same day, drew suspicion and rumors around my mother. They thought she was a witch, or a whore who had slept with another man besides my father."</p><p>"That's terrible."</p><p>"That's not even the worst of it. My father was very quick to defend my mother's honor. But when she was no longer considered a witch, the villagers shifted their superstitious fear to Alec and me. Before our mother even told us, we understood that we were special, different."</p><p>Seth stopped lounging against the tree to lean forward with elbows on his knees, hanging on to every word I said.</p><p>"Alec and I could understand each other before we learned how to talk. We could finish each other's sentences. We shared unspoken thoughts. Good luck followed those who were kind to us, while bad luck plagued those who treated us otherwise, but we never did that intentionally. That was out of our control. The villagers came to look at us like abominations, like freaks of nature. The forest was our sanctuary from their judgment. Until one day..."</p><p>I closed my eyes. I was opening up old wounds, but around Seth, somehow I felt safe.</p><p>"One day, Alec and I went into the forest to play, though I had spotted the biggest batch of kingcups I had seen yet. I had to stop to pick them. Alec wanted to run on ahead, and I let him. And then..."</p><p>I trailed off, opened my eyes, and held Seth's gaze. "What I'm about to tell you is something that I have not even told most of the Volturi. Only my brother and one of my former masters know."</p><p>He took the gravity of my eye contact seriously. "You can trust me, Jane. I won't tell another soul if you don't want me to."</p><p>At his solemn promise, I went on. "A trio of boys from the village had followed us into the forest. I hadn't realized until I was left alone. They were at least my age: around fourteen, maybe a year or two older. They were more afraid of Alec than me, but since he was gone, that made me an easy target. They said I looked like I need someone else to play with, so they made me play a new game with them. The kind of game that involved them pinning me to the ground and pulling up my dress."</p><p>I decided to spare Seth of further details. He was smart enough to know what had happened next. He didn't need it all spelled out for him. I knew that as I took in the pallor and speechless horror on his face.</p><p>As a vampire I could no longer dream, but if I closed my eyes, nightmarish memories of that day sprang to the surface with frightening, painful ease. If I let my gaze linger on the forest floor between me and Seth now, I could easily picture the flowers I had picked for my mother. Flowers dashed to the ground and dotted with my blood.</p><p>I drew in a trembling breath that I didn't need. "They took off before my brother ran back to me. I couldn't get up and walk. Alec had to carry me home. Later, my monthly blood stopped and sometimes I emptied my stomach into the dirt. I learned then that I was with child. I don't know which of the boys is the father. They...they had taken turns with me."</p><p>"Oh my God, Jane," Seth breathed. "That's just awful. I'm so sorry."</p><p>I closed my eyes again. "You had asked me earlier at the park if I had experience with children. Now you know the answer."</p><p>His voice trembled as he struggled to wrap his head around the revelation. "I-I can't believe you had a kid that young. I'm fifteen, too, and thinking about having a kid of my own right now...I can't even imagine what that's like. You don't look that much older than a kid yourself."</p><p>I made a bitter, mirthless smile under my mask. "I'm considered almost an adult in my time. Like I said, I had to grow up fast."</p><p>"No kidding..." We said nothing for some time. Finally, tentatively, Seth broke the silence. "Did you have a boy or a girl?"</p><p>Warm fondness for my child soothed the old wound I had pulled open. "A boy. Beautiful green eyes, the softest brown hair, and the most precious smile."</p><p>"What's his name?"</p><p>"Connor."</p><p>I hadn't uttered that name since I was turned into a vampire.</p><p>Seth drew up his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. "Sounds like you loved him a lot," he said softly.</p><p>"I loved Connor to the moon and back. He had brought happiness and joy I desperately needed in my life. I'll never forgive his father for what he did to me, but I couldn't bring myself to hate the child. Even after a difficult delivery that had almost killed me, I couldn't hate Connor for something that wasn't his fault. Caring for him and raising him, singing him lullabies and making him smile...that was the happiest time in my life. It didn't last long, though. I was his mother for only five months."</p><p>"What happened?"</p><p>I only gave Seth a look that carried an unspoken question of my own: Are you ready to hear the rest of this story?</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>I loved hearing people tell stories, but holy hell. What Jane just shared with me was the most terrible story I had ever heard. And she looked like she wasn't done telling it yet.</p><p>She held her gaze with me, as if waiting on my choice to let her go on or not. I nodded for her to continue, going against my urge to put hands over my ears and ask her to stop there.</p><p>"The village boys who had attacked me never came back from the forest," she said. "Their families, of course, accused me and Alec of being responsible for the boys going missing. They wouldn't believe my mother who tried to tell them the truth. They spread rumors that Connor came about because I had slept with my brother."</p><p>I shook my head in disgust. "That...that's just so messed up." I wish the villagers were here so I could punch them all in the face.</p><p>"Connor hadn't even turned half a year old yet when the village had enough of us. That year was the worst harvest we had in the past decade. They blamed us for the crops dying. They broke into my family's house in the middle of the night, dragging everyone out of bed. Some woman grabbed Connor out of my arms, and the men tied up my hands with rope. They tied up Alec, too. We were dragged to the middle of the town, where firewood was stacked up high. And at the center of it, a stake."</p><p>"Oh no," I whispered.</p><p>"Alec and I were tied up like meat on a spit. The villagers below us waved around torches and pitchforks, calling us all sorts of things. Monsters. Demons. Witches. Their screams drowned out my mother's plea to spare us. I couldn't hear Connor crying, but I knew from the bond we shared how he cried for me to take him back. I wanted more than anything to rescue him from the woman who had stolen him, and rescue Alec from the stake, but I was so weak. Powerless. I couldn't do anything."</p><p>Jane knitted her brow, as if she could no longer see me and the light of coming dawn, but the darkness of that night. "This part of the story everyone knows. Everyone in the Volturi, anyway. The villagers wanted me and Alec to burn. They set their torches to the wood. They cheered for our deaths as the flames went up. Only our mother tried to fight on our behalf. The villagers shut her up for good by stoning her."</p><p>I felt as if someone had punched me in the gut as those words left her mouth.</p><p>Her fingers dug into the tree roots. "So the flames kept climbing, eating at my feet, my ankles, my shins. The hottest anger consumed me. 'I'm in hell,' I thought. 'This is what it feels like.' I wanted to make the village pay for what they did to me and my family. I wanted them to burn." She blinked hard once. "That's how my gift came to be. With my kind, whatever defined us in our first life can carry on in the next one. My darkest desire, my greatest wish...that turned me into one of the most powerful vampires in the world."</p><p>I blinked hard too, but not once. I blinked many times, and before I knew it, tears ran down my face. They wouldn't stop falling. I dug my face into my sleeve, trying to pull myself together, but my shoulders started to shake.</p><p>Jane's voice went soft with disbelief. "Are you...crying?"</p><p>I lifted my wet face to meet her wide eyes, and I tried to speak around the huge lump in my throat. "I...I don't know what to say after hearing all of that."</p><p>I really didn't know what could possibly be the right words to say. So I cried and cried, more than I ever had in my life. I haven't cried this much since Dad's funeral. I didn't know where all this came from. Maybe I was crying out the tears Jane never got to shed, so I was crying for her. A vampire like Jane couldn't cry even if she wanted to, and over the centuries, she must have forgotten what that looked and felt like.</p><p>I looked at her in a new light. A sympathetic light. "The pain you give people...it's not just any kind of pain. It's <em>your </em>pain, isn't it? You use it to make people suffer the way you suffered." I wiped my face dry, clenched my jaw, and rose to my feet. "I want to know what that feels like."</p><p>Jane sprang to her own feet faster than I could blink. "Are you mad?"</p><p>"Just for a few seconds."</p><p>"A few seconds is still a long time. No. I won't do it." She shoved her hands into the pockets of her coat, and glared down at her boots. "On the day I had to hurt you, I told myself that I wouldn't use my power again. You don't know what you're asking for, Seth."</p><p>"Yes, I do." The Clearwater family stubbornness kicked into full gear inside me. "Back when I had the prion scare, I wasn't being myself. I wasn't aware of what was going on. Now I have it all together. I want to really understand and feel what you've been through. Please, Jane."</p><p>She closed her eyes and drew in a full, quiet breath. She held it longer than humanely possible, and the only sound I could hear were the leaves rustling around us. Then she spoke. "Fine. Five seconds," she muttered. "Don't say that I didn't warn you."</p><p>She returned her gaze to me and held it. Nothing happened at first. Then the sharpest, most fiery pain lanced up through me from my feet. I fell on all fours. My mouth opened to a silent scream. I grabbed for a nearby tree trunk for support, but I couldn't pull myself back to my feet. Everything from my toes to my belly was consumed in a fire I couldn't smell or see. My groin felt it the worst. A kick in the balls felt like a little nudge compared to this. The pain there was what kept me from standing.</p><p>I had asked for the way to best understand Jane and her pain, and I got what I asked for.</p><p>The anguish of being violated.</p><p>The agony of childbirth.</p><p>The grief from losing people she loved.</p><p>The torment of burning.</p><p>I felt it all. Unlike anyone else before me, probably, I could put a name to the pain that sent people to their knees. Every time she used her gift, she relived those darkest moments of her life. Maybe she thought she was enjoying the thrill of revenge, but really, the one hurting the most was Jane herself.</p><p>Realizing that made me want to cry for her again. The fire didn't die right away. It took me several moments to remember that I wasn't actually burning, but curled up in a cold sweat on the forest floor. I gulped in chilly morning air and staggered to my feet.</p><p>Jane looked at me like she hated herself for doing what she just did. "Seth, are you—?"</p><p>"Y-yeah, I'm fine," I said with a shaky voice. "It's just...I..."</p><p>Again I couldn't put my feelings into words. Before she could react, I wrapped my arms around her small frame to give her the tightest, biggest hug. She went rigid and still. But only for half a second.</p><p>She pushed me back with a palm against my chest. "What do you think you're doing?" she hissed.</p><p>I stumbled and caught myself with a hand on the nearest tree trunk. My sternum felt sore from where she had pushed me. "Sorry, I don't know, I just..." I dropped my gaze to my shoes. "You looked like you really needed that."</p><p>She shook her head. "<em>You</em> looked like you were asking to die. Have you forgotten that your blood sings to me?" Her voice raised to almost a shout. "Have you really gone so soft in the head that you'd throw your life away, just to show how sorry you feel for me?"</p><p>"Yeah, maybe."</p><p>At that, anger faded from her eyes. I had only noticed it when I closed the gap between us to hug her, but her eyes were no longer pure red. Now they were a strange shade of orange. Amber, I think.</p><p>"You truly are someone special, Seth," she murmured. "If there is such a thing as a soul, you have the kindest one I have ever seen."</p><p>The sun climbed higher in the sky, sending its rays peeking through cracks in the trees. Jane glanced at the brightening horizon and moved away from me. "I'd better get back to the Cullens, before they start thinking I'm taking too long away from the house."</p><p>I stood where I was, but what she said reminded me of the salmon I had to take back to Mom, so she could cook it for lunch later.</p><p>At the edge of the dandelion field, Jane turned around to face me again. "Thank you for today. For inviting me to the pier, for listening to me..."</p><p>"I should be thanking you for opening up." I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my cargo pants and shuffled around dead leaves with my shoes. "You, uh, still up for hanging out some more?"</p><p>She tilted her head. "If you'd like."</p><p>"Yeah, for sure. I-I like being around you." My ears grew hot as I said that.</p><p>"The last thing I expected to hear from my blood singer." She cracked a smile for the first time since we played around in the dandelions. I could tell by the perk of her pale cheeks. Then, while resuming her usual serious demeanor, she said, "If there were more people like you, Seth, the world would be a much better place. I wouldn't have believed for so long that humans are scum of the earth. Anyone should feel extremely honored and fortunate to have your heart someday."</p><p>With that, Jane left me alone in the forest, on the edge of the dandelion field. She left me with words that never got to leave my mouth, words I desperately wanted her to hear: I can't give my heart to anyone else. It already belongs with you.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>On the etymology of Connor: Connor is an Irish boy's name meaning "lover of hounds" or "lover of wolves." I thought it was a neat name that would foreshadow his mom's fate a thousand years later.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>Much as I tried, I could not shake off the sensation that lingered on my body from Seth's embrace. I had thought he would be blazing hot, engulfing me and searing me through like an inferno. Instead his arms around me were a soothing warmth, like a fireplace in midwinter.</p><p>The last time someone had hugged me was my mother, and that was a lifetime ago. To get a hug from Seth sent such an earthquake of shock rippling through my body that it had paralyzed me. I remembered how his heart drummed against his chest, against mine, pumping out blood that would have made me tear into him had it not been for the wolf-scented mask that I wore.</p><p>I hissed out a sigh and shook my head. What a soft fool he was. I could have ripped out his throat and feasted on his blood right then and there. He really had no fear of me. I couldn't tell whether to feel touched or irritated by what he did. Then I also remembered that on top of the scent of sweet blood that coursed through his veins, there was that nose-wrinkling smell of fish on his hands. An odd combination. I won't ever forget that we were on the pier today. That made me smile.</p><p>My brisk midmorning hike back to the Cullen house did nothing to banish the thoughts of my time with Seth. Edward was in for a wild ride when he'd catch wind of my thoughts, like going on a mental Boardwalk Bullet. Fortunately, he was out hunting with his wife and child by the time I arrived at the house.</p><p>I pushed aside thoughts and memories of this morning when I mulled over what kind of letter I would write to Aro. Carlisle let me into his study so I could use a desk, a pen, and paper. After some pondering and drafting in my head, I have written:</p><p>"Dear Aro,</p><p>I hope that this letter finds you well. I am happy to report that my stay with the Olympic coven has been with great benefit and without much trouble. Carlisle has been assisting me with the transition from a diet of human blood to animal blood. Nowadays I join the coven on a biweekly hunt in the evenings. The adjustment is certainly not without its difficulties, but I am making good progress.</p><p>As of this writing, my eyes have turned from red to amber—not the proper gold yet, but with more steady discipline, I will reach that point. My relationship with the other coven members improved from wariness and mistrust to amiable terms. I do not, however, plan to become a permanent member of the coven. Once they have given me all the guidance I need, I will set forth to live my own life, wherever that might be.</p><p>Please give my regards to Caius and Marcus, as well as to my brother Alec."</p><p>I decided not to mention Seth in my letter. I doubted that Aro would find mention of him relevant or important. I showed Carlisle the letter before sealing it as a gesture of goodwill and assurance that I wasn't doing anything suspicious, like plotting behind the coven's back. Carlisle sent the letter for me, and I wondered what Aro would think when he receives it.</p><p>The pier and the field of dandelions became the regular spot for me and Seth to meet. It was the land between the local wolves and vampires, a sort of surreal, liminal space that let us blur the boundaries. It began to feel like our spot, and ours alone.</p><p>Seth taught me how to fish, how to cast a line, how to read the water for signs of life teeming below, and how to reel in a catch big enough to bring home and eat. He was practically jumping up and down with excitement as I managed to reel in my first successful catch.</p><p>"A rainbow trout! A pretty big one, too. Hold it up so I can get a picture, Jane."</p><p>I couldn't help smiling a bit with pride as I posed with the first fish I had caught. Who knew that a jaded 1200 year-old vampire like myself would indulge in the simple pleasures of human life? Only someone like Seth could make that possible.</p><p>We didn't meet only to go fishing. Seth's studies in Latin picked up in intensity as the class final drew near. For his final, he had to recite and translate from <em>The Aeneid</em>. Thanks to my extensive reading in the castle library, I already had Virgil's epic poem memorized front to back, in both Latin and English. I was the perfect partner for Seth to practice with.</p><p>The part he was assigned involved the tragic affair between Aeneas, the Trojan hero destined to become the ancestor of all Romans, and Dido, the queen of Carthage. Seth and I paced at the edge of the dandelion field, our improvised stage. Seth bounced his attention between me and his battered, used copy of <em>The Aeneid </em>as he read off the lines.</p><p>After several faltering attempts, he let the book slap his leg as his hands dropped to his sides. "It's hard for me to remember these lines when it's hard to get into character," he groaned. "Aeneas is being kind of a jerk to Dido."</p><p>I wouldn't call Aeneas so much a "jerk" as he is extremely bound to duty and gods-given destiny. He had to reject Dido's love so he could continue his quest and fulfill his destiny: to establish the foundations of Rome. He could not do that by staying in Carthage and marrying Dido. To a woman hopelessly in love, of course he would sound cold and uncaring as he turned down her advances.</p><p>"Perhaps it would be better if we switch roles," I suggested. "Passionate, irrational Dido sounds more in line with you."</p><p>My teasing made Seth chuckle. "You think so?"</p><p>He took my suggestion and acted as Dido instead of Aeneas. He had an easier time in that role, despite not being a woman. As I pretended to be the dutiful Aeneas, stating his lines with clipped, detached delivery, Seth read Dido's proclamations of love with fervor and energy, gesturing grandly with his free hand like a Shakespearean actor. When he looked up from the book to meet my eyes, the words he said seemed to take on a new layer of depth beyond mere recital.</p><p>He was out of breath by the end of the assigned part. A sudden gust of wind sent dandelions behind us erupting into the air. The wind sent the flying seeds our way, and with it, Seth's scent straight into my direction. I squared my shoulders and pressed the mask closer against my face. I was ashamed to feel my mouth flood with venom. He quietly closed the book and stayed where he was, standing at a safe distance from me, though he looked at me like he wanted to take a few steps closer.</p><p>"Jane, I...I need to tell you something."</p><p>"What is it?"</p><p>He looked down at his shoes and fell silent, like he changed his mind. Then he looked up at me with such tenderness that I felt a twinge in my chest, as if my dead heart had somehow stirred back to life. "I'm in love with you," he whispered. Then he cleared his throat, swallowed hard, and said with more confidence: "I love you, Jane."</p><p>His aching sincerity made me take a step back. I couldn't believe what he just told me, but I could hear him perfectly fine, and this was no dream I could wake up from.</p><p>I hated to hurt him yet again, but this time, I did it to protect him. "No, Seth," I murmured. "You shouldn't."</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>I should've expected that kind of answer from Jane. Still, I felt like she stomped my heart into the dirt, hard enough to leave shoe tracks on it. "Why not?" I asked gently.</p><p>She glared at me, as if I shouldn't have even asked that question. "I can think of a million reasons why. Where do I even start?"</p><p>"Well, if you want to start off with the blood singer thing, look at Edward and Bella. He learned to control himself around her. He got used to the smell of her blood. His love for her was more powerful than the instinct to kill her. If you go full on vegetarian, that won't be a problem, right?"</p><p>Slowly Jane lifted her hands to her temples, as if she was nursing a headache. "Let's not even consider that for a moment, and that alone is enough to significantly complicate things. Let's consider the very idea of a wolf and a vampire being together. It's not normal. It's wrong. Impossible."</p><p>I frowned. "Who decides that?"</p><p>"No one." She shook her head and her voice hardened. "We have been natural enemies since the beginning of time. It's just the way of things. That's just how the world works. You haven't been around as long as I have to realize that, because you're just a boy. A kid."</p><p>That stung, but I tried not to raise my voice at her. "I think that's your head talking. What does your heart tell you?"</p><p>She wouldn't meet my eyes. She looked like she didn't want to answer that.</p><p>"You say that a wolf and a vampire shouldn't be together, then why have you been hanging out with me when you should have stayed away?" I thought back to every smile, every laugh of hers whenever she was around me. I remembered them all as clear and beautiful as day. My voice started to shake. "Don't those good times we've had mean anything to you? I thought they did. I...I thought you liked being with me."</p><p>"I do." That came out of her before she had the composure to keep it in. "I...I've grown very fond of you, Seth. You've shown me another side to life that I never got to have for over a thousand years. No one has ever gone to such great lengths to reach out to me, to understand me and embrace me the way you do. And I..." Her voice thickened, like on the verge of crying if she could. "I love you for that."</p><p>My heart soared. "Then why—"</p><p>"<em>Because I don't deserve you</em>."</p><p>My heart plummeted to the ground next. "Jane..."</p><p>"That's the real reason. The biggest reason. I don't deserve you, Seth. And you deserve much better than me."</p><p>I took a step forward. "That's not true."</p><p>She took a step back. "You don't know what you're saying. There's more to the story that I had told you." Shade from the treetops darkened her face, and her amber eyes through sunless gloom made her look like a tigress. A dangerous predator. "I had lived my human life and nearly died as a victim. I lived long enough to become a monster. I was saved from the stake and turned into a vampire by none other than my former master, Aro. For that I owe him my life, and for centuries since that night, I paid my debt through my service to him, to the Volturi."</p><p>Knowledge of that made my head reel. I had never known until now that her devotion to that coven had roots so deep.</p><p>"On his behalf, as one of the Volturi's most valuable, powerful weapons, I've done terrible things. I've consumed the blood of humans in droves. I've tortured humans and vampires alike with my power. I've condemned both the guilty and innocent to their deaths. I've destroyed immortal children and tossed them into the fire with their creators. All this I have done for hundreds of years, with a smile on my face." She knitted her brow as she held my gaze. "How can you love someone like that? Can you still say that you love me, after everything I've said? After knowing the whole story?"</p><p>I was speechless. I struggled for words, but nothing came out.</p><p>Pyrrhic victory was written on her face, as if it pained her to win over me. "I thought so," she whispered.</p><p>Like before, I didn't know what to say, but I wasn't so naive to think that this was something that could end in a hug. As a protector of my people and my land, like my ancestors before me, my natural instinct was to recoil in horror and disgust at all the times she had callously disregarded the lives of others. She used to have a child of her own, yet she went on to kill many more. How could she do such a thing?</p><p>The wolf in me was howling, "She's right, you lovesick idiot. How can you love a monster like her?"</p><p>I scrunched up my eyes and tried to shut out the howling in my head.</p><p>Jane crossed her arms and gripped the crooks of her sleeves, hunching her shoulders and staring down at the forest floor. "I envy you, Seth," she admitted. "You have family and plenty of friends who love you and accept you for who you are. You may not think you have a gift, but you do. Your gift is to touch everyone with your kindness and goodness. You've touched even someone like me." She met my eyes, and if it was possible, tears would be welling up by now. "That is a beautiful gift. Don't ever lose it."</p><p>I clenched my jaw until my teeth hurt. I felt my own tears running down my cheeks.</p><p>She returned her gaze to the dead leaves, and with muted determination, she said, "I can't stay around here anymore. I need to leave."</p><p>I found the words now. "No, please don't—"</p><p>"This is for your own good, Seth." Her reply lashed out like the swipe of a paw from a caged beast, and I flinched. "Forget about me and save your heart for someone else, someone good and pure like you." Her voice dipped to a whisper. "Trust me, I'm not doing this because I want to hurt you. I'm doing this because..." She drew in a shaky breath. "Because I love you."</p><p>"Jane—"</p><p>She broke away from me, sprinting out of sight faster than I could get anything out after her name.</p><p>This was Aeneas and Dido all over again. I was Dido, infatuated and hoping for a future together with the one I loved, while Jane was Aeneas, who turned me away and left me in the dust. Jane had given me all the cold, hard facts to why we couldn't be together. She had made a very solid case against herself.</p><p>But somehow, despite everything she had done, I still had it in me to love her. I wanted to run after Jane and beg her to stay. I wanted to tell her that she didn't have to exile herself because of me, but she would probably push me away even more.</p><p>After Aeneas left Carthage, Dido had climbed up a pyre and killed herself by falling onto a sword. What was I going to do? <em>The Aeneid</em> fell out of my numb hand. I couldn't hear my book hitting the ground. All I could feel was the blood pounding in my ears, and blood seeping from the cracks of my broken heart.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Alec</strong>
</p><p>The new secretary, whose name I won't commit to memory, approached my masters bearing a sealed envelope on a silver tray. From my post beside Aro's throne, I spotted the name of the one who had sent it.</p><p>A letter from Jane.</p><p>If it were possible, my heart would have skipped a beat. Aro rose from his throne and aimed a beatific smile at the secretary. "Good evening, my dear. This is a departure from the usual, but please hand that letter over to Marcus."</p><p>That was unusual indeed. Until now, every letter delivered to Volterra had been opened and read by Aro. Perplexed, nevertheless the secretary obeyed and moved over to extend the letter to Marcus.</p><p>He rose with painstaking slowness and accepted the letter without ceremony.</p><p>"That will be all from you," Aro told the secretary. "Leave us now."</p><p>The woman bowed and left with as much as her dignity and her heels could allow. I didn't miss the relief on her face before she turned to leave. My masters had a habit of disposing secretaries for the most trivial flaws. That was why I never bothered to learn their names.</p><p>Marcus took his time with opening the envelope and unfolding the letter. I wanted to know what my sister had written, but it would be rude of me to be nosy and try to look over. All I could see was the stony expression of Marcus, whose hooded eyes didn't betray anything he had read.</p><p>He folded the letter back into its envelope, and lifted his red eyes to meet mine. He made the slightest curl of his fingers at me and descended the dais. I followed his silent command to attend him as we left the chamber together.</p><p>Once we were through the double doors, and out of earshot of Aro and Caius, Marcus spoke. "It is time."</p><p>I nodded in understanding. Jane had sent us the signal to strike. It was a relief to know that she was following her mission, whether she knew it or not. Now I understood why it was Marcus who would receive her letter, not Aro. Of the three, Aro was the most vocal leader of the Volturi. He voiced all the decisions and had the final say in everything.</p><p>Or so one would think. Aro's decisions could be watched by the fortune-teller of the Cullens. I knew that from the time that the newborn army was created in Seattle. That could be the case once more, and as a further precaution, both the knowledge of Jane's status and the decision to attack were handed over to Marcus. No one would have suspected him, the quietest and seemingly most uninterested of the three rulers.</p><p>I followed Marcus to the lowest level of the castle, to the physician's room of horrors at the end of the hall. Seven more members of the Volturi guard joined us in the room a minute later. Tiago and Phuong were among those seven. The rest were undistinguished recruits, unfamiliar faces.</p><p>"Proceed with the next phase of the plan," Marcus ordered the physician. "I leave the guard in your hands."</p><p>The bespectacled man beamed with more enthusiasm than Marcus had ever shown in the past millennium. "Splendid. Let's get to work, everyone." He led us closer to his rack of skins while Marcus left, no longer having any part in this.</p><p>"It's time you try on the suits I've been poring over for the past few months."</p><p>"Suits?" Tiago eyed the rack with raised eyebrows. "You mean to have us <em>wear</em> these things?"</p><p>"Why, yes. How else are you going to mask your vampire scents and appearances when you're overseas?"</p><p>I exchanged a look with the other guards. Our attack would rely heavily on the element of surprise. Masking our scents would keep us from being detected. We would approach the Olympic coven pretending to look and smell like humans. Morbidly clever.</p><p>Phuong delicately ran a finger through the inside of a suit. "I assume you have ones that are tailor made for each of us."</p><p>The physician nodded. "That was the fun and challenge of it—mixing and matching the bodies to fit your individual builds." He rummaged through the rack, like perusing clothes at a store. "Let's see here...this one's for you, Alec..."</p><p>I studied the suit I'd been given while the physician handed out the rest to my fellow guards. I held the preserved skin of a teenage boy of exactly my height. The hair and skin were darker than my own, but hair and skin tone didn't matter. In fact, the more varied those other factors were, the less that the enemy would be able to make the connection between me and my disguise. The physician was meticulous in his measurements, all right.</p><p>"Magnífico<em>, </em>so lifelike," Tiago remarked as he poked at the skin of his own suit. "It's damp, soft, and springy, like real human skin. How do you do it, doctor?"</p><p>"With lots of advanced, expensive technology. Most of the work went into maintaining the integrity and consistency of living skin. Be careful not to tear it. I've woven a capillary microlayer underneath. You smell it?"</p><p>Phuong lowered her nose into the inside flap, and she pulled back with surprise. "There's human blood running through here."</p><p>"Helps sell the illusion even more. It runs on a self-regulating pump to circulate the blood in place of a real heart. I've also added synthetic glands that release body odor and sweat." The physician flashed a toothy grin. "You vampires better get used to damp armpits."</p><p>I couldn't help but look at him with awe. I wasn't alone in my reaction. The Volturi had long maintained an image of antiquity, but combined with the most advanced human technology, we could push the limits of our capabilities.</p><p>"And now for your reminders on selling the human act," the physician said as he helped us into the suits. "Don't forget to pant and slouch when you're tired. Trip on a stray root every once in a while. Pull on your shirt to look like you're fanning off the sweat." He stepped back and surveyed his handiwork with pride. "Now go forth, vampires in disguise. I look forward to hearing of your success."</p><p>"Follow me to your next objective," Phuong said from inside her suit of a middle-aged white woman. We left the physician's room as she took over. "As he had implied, we will go to Forks posing as human hikers. We'll pretend to be lost in the woods and 'run into' the Olympic coven while they're hunting. We'll ask them for help to the waterfall, a local landmark. On the way we'll flank them, and once we're there, we'll strike."</p><p>"Isn't there a mind-reader in the coven?" Tiago asked from inside his suit of a man several shades darker. "How will our thoughts be protected?"</p><p>"That's where my gift comes into play," she replied. "I will construct personas for all of us before we leave Volterra."</p><p>"But what about you?" I asked as she led us to the hanger. "How will you know to snap us out of our aliases if you're under one yourself?"</p><p>The skin of her suit formed around her convincing smile. "A good question, Alec, but I have the solution for that, too. I will give myself a reminder to snap my fingers at the falls. I won't know why, but the command will be vague enough to ensure that I will do it without attracting suspicion from the mind-reader. By the time I snap my fingers to alert us of our true purpose, it'll be too late for the coven to react."</p><p>"I assume that my sister will be accompanying the Olympic coven on their hunt. If she'll be with them, with us, the snap will restore her to her true self as well."</p><p>"Yes, that's part of the plan."</p><p>I liked the sound of that. I looked forward to the reunion, and to taking down the Volturi's greatest enemy together. That was my last thought before Phuong gave me my human persona and snapped her fingers.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Been a while since I had to read and study The Aeneid, but I remember the Aeneas and Dido bit and thought that would make a great parallel for Seth and Jane.</p><p>I couldn't use Dante's Divine Comedy as a reference in this chapter, because it was written in Italian vernacular instead of Latin like The Aeneid. I'm deadset on slipping in Dante references, though. It's the fic's title, after all.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>I left Seth behind feeling like my heart had just died a second time.</p><p>Though I didn't have the need to breathe, I gulped in lungfuls of air as I ran, as if that would somehow help with the wrenching ache in my chest. To my relief, Seth wasn't running after me, begging me to change my mind. I had to stop and press a hand over where my heart would be beating. I leaned against a tree for support, barely able to keep upright.</p><p>Never in my life, the first and the second, had I had ever broken someone's heart, and I had never broken my own. Until now, that is. It was a terrible feeling beyond words. I wish I had Alec here with me, so I could ask him to numb me from this pain. But he wasn't here, and I had to keep going.</p><p>I gritted my teeth and forced myself to resume running. Vampires couldn't be fatigued, yet I felt utterly drained by the time I reached the Cullen house. They were all inside, crowded around the TV to enjoy a sitcom they were streaming. I had to come in to crash the party.</p><p>"I have to leave," I said. "I'm sorry, but I can't be here anymore."</p><p>They turned from their spots in the living room, the smiles and laughter gone in a flash as they looked up at me with surprise.</p><p>"What's with this all of a sudden?" Emmett asked.</p><p>I shook my head. "It has nothing to do with any of you. It's..."</p><p>"I understand," Edward murmured. Out of everyone in the coven, he truly did understand. His gift let him receive the brunt of my emotional turmoil, my heartbreak and Seth's.</p><p>"You're really leaving?" Renesmee asked.</p><p>It was hard for me to meet her wide eyes and dismayed tone.</p><p>"I've overstayed my welcome," I said firmly. "Give me a few minutes to pack my things, and I'll be on my way, out of your hair."</p><p>Esme rose from the couch, where she'd been sitting with Carlisle. "Let me help you," she offered.</p><p>"Thank you, but I only have a few clothes. It won't take me long at all."</p><p>What I really needed was some time alone. I had my clothes kept in a small closet by the laundry room, in a little narrow hallway out of sight from the family. I ducked in there to pull my clothes off the hangers.</p><p>Edward strode in quietly and extended a small suitcase to me. "It's an extra one," he said. "You need it more than we do."</p><p>I nodded my thanks. I knelt down to fold my clothes and fit them into the suitcase.</p><p>Neither of us said anything for a few seconds, until Edward spoke again. "I just want you to know that what you're doing for Seth is a noble thing." His gaze upon me was filled with sympathy.</p><p>I sighed and closed my eyes. "We can't keep seeing each other. It wouldn't be good for either of us in the long run. I have to cut ties while I can." I almost slammed down a fist, out of anger at myself. "But I should have done that sooner. I shouldn't have encouraged him. I'm a fool for letting myself fall for him."</p><p>"It happens. That's what happened to me and Bella."</p><p>I couldn't help shedding some of my bitterness onto him. "At least your story had a happy ending. She became a vampire, a part of your family, and she gave you a daughter. But Seth and me, a wolf and a vampire...we will always be incompatible. Nothing in the world can close the rift of differences between us."</p><p>Edward said nothing to that, and only looked away with a furrowed brow.</p><p>I took up the suitcase and slipped past him to return to the living room. The TV was off, but the Cullens were still gathered there, looking like they had all sorts of questions for me.</p><p>"Where will you go from here?" Rosalie asked. "Have you thought about that at all?"</p><p>"No, not really," I admitted. "I'll go somewhere remote, far away from human civilization. Maybe the upper regions of Canada, close to the Arctic circle."</p><p>Alice raised her delicate, dark eyebrows. "You'd really do that?"</p><p>"I could learn to live like a hermit in the wilderness. It would look too suspicious for a girl under eighteen to live alone comfortably in a town or a city."</p><p>"Will you be all right off of Carlisle's prescribed diet?" Jasper asked.</p><p>Emmett frowned. "Yeah, don't you think it might be too soon for you to leave?"</p><p>The concern tinged in their questions somewhat took me aback. "I've been hunting with you for the past few weeks. Animal blood's been more tolerable. It won't be easy, but I can think I can manage on my own now." If I kept thinking that I would be doing it for Seth's sake, then it would be possible, easier to stomach.</p><p>"At least hunt with us one last time," Carlisle said. "We plan on going later this afternoon. You seem sure about leaving soon, but I feel it wouldn't be proper to send you off without a last hunt." He had never raised his voice or been firm with me, but his gentle kindness made it hard for me to refuse him.</p><p>"Very well," I said. "One last hunt."</p><p>This coven, this family, was truly one of a kind. I've grown to appreciate their hospitality and gradual acceptance of me. It wouldn't be easy for me to part ways with them.</p><p>This morning had started out with the promise of a sunny day, but heavy clouds had rolled in to form a persistent overcast sky. We could afford to set out for the hunt this afternoon, instead of the evening like usual.</p><p>"Let's catch lots of prey today," Renesmee said, "so you can be full and ready to go, Jane."</p><p>A smile ghosted across my face. "I appreciate the thought."</p><p>We prowled through the forest with seasoned grace and coordination. By this time I was familiar with the family's hunting style, and blended in seamlessly with their formation. We were on the hunt for a herd of deer, but the scent that hit our noses instead were a group of humans. A group of very smelly, sweaty humans.</p><p>We broke out of hunting formation before the humans stumbled into view. They were hikers, eight of them in total, all weighed down by clunky boots and bulging backpacks. Some carried hiking sticks. Despite all the gear, I was under the impression that they were amateurs, inexperienced and out of place in the Pacific Northwest forest.</p><p>One of them, a middle-aged blonde-haired woman, came up to us. "Excuse me, are you locals?"</p><p>"We are," Carlisle replied, and he regarded them with concern. "Are you heading somewhere? You look lost."</p><p>"We've been going around in circles," said the dark-skinned man in a wide-brimmed hat. "We're trying to find the falls, but the GPS on our phones can't get us there."</p><p>"You mean the Everspring Falls?" Edward asked.</p><p>"Yeah, that's the one," said the youngest hiker in the group, a teenage boy around my physical age. "We've been hiking all day looking for it."</p><p>"It's not easy to find," Carlisle said. "How about we show you how to get there?" He glanced back at his family, and they nodded in agreement to help out.</p><p>Relief was stamped all over the woman's sweaty face. "Great, thanks a lot! I'm so glad we ran into you. We'll follow your lead, then."</p><p>I wouldn't be the most willing to help out a bunch of bumbling humans, but it made sense why the Cullens would rather help than leave them on their own. Once the Cullens could lead the hikers to the falls, and be sure that the hikers would stick around for their tourist pictures, they could resume the hunt elsewhere in full confidence that they wouldn't be on the prowl with humans noticing.</p><p>The Cullens and I slowed our pace to a believable human one, so the hikers could keep up. Renesmee, ever curious with new people, walked the farthest behind us and closest to the hikers.</p><p>"Are you all a family, or a group of friends?" she asked.</p><p>"We're a family of three," the middle-aged woman replied, and she gestured to the teenage boy who must be her son and to the man who must be her husband. "The rest are friends of ours. How about you all?"</p><p>I tuned out the small talk as guilt over leaving Seth overwhelmed my thoughts. I had genuinely enjoyed his company, and I wished we could part ways on a better note. Though I had to turn him down, I would treasure the memories of good times we had together.</p><p>I pulled out my phone and scrolled through the pictures Seth had sent me over the past week. I stopped at the one of that enormous stuffed bear I had won for him, tucked in the corner of the living room in his house. I couldn't help smiling at that photo.</p><p>Just ahead of me, Edward leaned down to whisper to his daughter, "That woman back there really wants to snap her fingers at the falls, for some reason."</p><p>Renesmee giggled at that.</p><p>"I heard it makes a nice echo," the woman said. "I'm really excited to try it out when we get there."</p><p>I threw a skeptical glance back at her over my shoulder. She shouldn't have heard what Edward had said. The average human wouldn't be able to have hearing that sharp. Unless...</p><p>I snapped out of my thoughts about Seth to scrutinize the hikers following us. Heading in the direction of the falls put us at tailwind, so the hikers' scent blew in from behind to practically assault my nose. They smelled human, all right. Almost embarrassingly so. They reeked of sweat and body odor from their prior bumbling around, and I smelled human blood coursing under their skin. Then I remembered that it wasn't unheard of for special abilities to manifest in humans. Take Alec and me, for example. Perhaps that woman just had very good hearing for a human.</p><p>After almost an hour of navigating through dense undergrowth, I could hear the faint roar of the falls ahead. Trees still obscured the view.</p><p>The woman, who I assumed to be the unofficial leader of the hikers, edged up closer to us. "I heard that the rocks are slippery over there. You all look like you know where you're going, so we'd better stick right behind you."</p><p>"It does get pretty slippery," Emmett said with a laugh. "And we do know how to get around here, so smart thinking."</p><p>I may look like the youngest full-fledged vampire out of all of us, but I was the oldest. That came with years of experience and intuition. And I couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right with these hikers. To my frustration, I couldn't put my finger on exactly why.</p><p>The hikers were starting to flank us, like living shadows. The dark-skinned man seemed insistent on tagging behind Bella. The largest man followed Emmett, and the woman was only a few steps away from squeezing in between Carlisle and Esme. The teenage boy picked me to tail, and I schooled my features to hide discomfort beneath neutrality. A careless misstep made him slip on a rock, and he grabbed my arm to break his fall.</p><p>"Sorry," he said. He pulled his hand away from me. "You're really cold."</p><p>"We've been out and about for a while." I said nothing more to him after that excuse, but when we continued to pick our way through the rocky terrain, I glanced back enough times for him to say "Something bothering you?"</p><p>"You sound an awful lot like someone I know," I muttered.</p><p>After a few more minutes of walking, we beheld the waterfall that towered over us. Mist sprayed on my face like thousands of tiny damp kisses. The sight of the landmark buoyed the spirits of the hikers.</p><p>"We made it," the woman exclaimed, and beamed gratitude at the Cullens. "Thank you all for leading us here. Now I can finally try this!" She raised her hand, extending it to the waterfall as close as she could, and snapped her fingers.</p><p>The snap echoed up the waterfall, as she had claimed, and the crack in the air magnified tenfold. But a million other things happened, too. At the snap, another fall cascaded into my field of perception. A rush of memories. Memories I hadn't known until now that were deeply buried in the recesses of my mind. Orders from Aro, my burning desire to prove my loyalty, Phuong's arresting gaze on me. In an instant, I understood why I was here. I remembered my true purpose.</p><p>And as I remembered, the Cullens and the "hikers"—my fellow Volturi guards in disguise—sprang into action around me. I shouldn't have reacted the fastest out of all of them. Phuong's hypnotic hold on me had stretched out the longest, and I should have taken the longest to reorient myself. But irrational emotion kicked in faster than I could think.</p><p>I unleashed my gift on the vampire who almost grabbed Bella from behind. He keeled over from the tidal wave of pain and swore in Portuguese.</p><p>"Tiago!" That cry came from my brother, the teenage boy who'd been following me.</p><p>His voice sent a lightning bolt through my body.</p><p>That precious split of a second gave Bella time to let loose her powerful shield. Emmett threw off one of the guards who had seized him, and lunged forward to tackle Alec. Instinct kicked in again, and I sprang to protect my powerless brother. I intercepted Emmett in midair, striking him from the side with as much force as I could muster. Our bodies slammed together with a crack like thunder. We tumbled down into the rocks. As we rolled down the ledge, I heard cries, screams, and the sounds of limbs being ripped off. Emmett found his footing first, his golden eyes ablaze with rage. He tried to grab me by the collar, but a guard took him off his feet again.</p><p>I scrambled to my own feet to behold pure chaos. The Cullens and the Volturi were throwing themselves at each other with bared teeth and clawed hands. I didn't know whose side to take. Renesmee hid behind her mother, who still stood rooted to radiate the shield. Edward had taken defensive position to cover her back.</p><p>The Volturi had lost the crucial element of surprise. Two men and the woman were already dismembered among the rocks. Carlisle was on his knees, clutching at where his right arm used to be. Esme was missing half of her left arm. I tried to spot my brother amid the chaos, but my frozen moment of indecision, of confusion, earned me the slap of someone's hand on my forehead from behind.</p><p>My eyes rolled up toward the back of my head. I lost total control and feeling of my body. My legs gave way, I fell forward, and my world faded to black.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>Trees and shrubs smeared into a green blur as I sprinted through them. I pumped my legs up and down as hard and fast as I could, determined to outrun Jake and Leah. This time I would win the race to the Cullens' place. I was so deadset on winning that I didn't waste breath on trading insults.</p><p>I desperately hoped that Jane hadn't left already. There was so much I had to tell her.</p><p>Then a tide of sickly sweetness in the air made me skid to a halt. "Guys, you—"</p><p>"Yeah, I smell it, too," Jake growled as he and Leah stopped beside me.</p><p>About ten meters ahead of us, shadowy blurs streaked across our sight. My heart leapt up into my throat. Black robes, vampire scent...the Volturi! And one of them had Jane, limp and unmoving, slung over his shoulder.</p><p>I took off after them without a second thought. I barely heard Jake and Leah crying out my name. With a great leap, I burst into my wolf form and pursued the Volturi on all fours. After the surgery, I was told to avoid phasing for a while, but now it couldn't be helped. No way I could chase after the Volturi on two human legs.</p><p>Jane's small body and light weight must be doing nothing to slow them down, but I knew this forest better than they did. With that advantage, I was able to gain on them inch by inch.</p><p>Jane stirred, blinking open amber eyes. Confusion and fear flooded them the next instant. She reached out a hand to me. "Seth," she cried.</p><p><em>Jane! </em>Her name came out as a howl ripping from my throat. The vampire carrying Jane tightened his arm around her and dug his fingers into her side. Her eyelids fluttered shut and she slumped on his shoulder again.</p><p>They were kidnapping her! There was no mistaking it now. I had to save her!</p><p>The dense undergrowth opened up to a straight dirt trail leading to the cliffs. The Volturi vampires picked up speed, faster than I could manage. I was losing them. No, no, no, no!</p><p>My fangs snapped at empty air as the Volturi took a swan dive over the cliffs. I dug my paws into the gravel to keep from hurtling over. I had a snowball's chance in hell with catching them by swimming. The wind up here buffeted me from all sides, clawing at my fur and pulling tears from the corners of my eyes.</p><p>I craned my neck over and peered down. I searched frantically for signs of the vampires. None of them resurfaced. They could hold their breaths indefinitely, and hide in the water for as long as they wanted.</p><p>There was nothing I could do. I lost Jane. I let loose a snarl that ended in a whine. <em>Jane, I'm so sorry.</em></p><p>Finally I turned around to find that Jake and Leah hadn't been pursuing the Volturi with me. It took me a moment to realize why. The Volturi being here meant that they were here to attack the Cullens. I couldn't think of any other reason.</p><p>Jake and Leah must have taken off in the other direction, retracing the Volturi's route to track down the Cullens. I sprinted down that direction, too. I followed the vampires' scent to Everspring Falls, and my heart felt like it wanted to drop out of my chest.</p><p>Heads and limbs were piled in a bonfire. Fortunately not heads and limbs of the Cullens, though. The family sat or knelt among the rocks, clearly still reeling from what must've been a surprise attack. Jake and Leah had phased into their wolf forms. Their fur bristled and they lifted their twitching noses to the air, on the lookout for more enemies.</p><p>I loped up to them. <em>What happened? Is everyone okay?</em></p><p>"We're all alive, thank goodness," Edward assured me. For a moment I had forgotten that he was the only vampire to understand me in my wolf form.</p><p>I didn't want to phase back, just in case more Volturi vampires were lurking around.</p><p><em>All of them fled</em>, Jake said. <em>The ones who could make it out alive, anyway.</em></p><p><em>The Cullens took out three of them</em>, Leah said with a disdainful flick of her tail toward the bonfire.</p><p>When I caught sight of Carlisle and Esme, I bounded over to them. <em>Oh no, you're hurt!</em></p><p>Carlisle managed a strained smile at me. "Don't worry, Seth. Our bodies can reconstruct themselves if there's no fire to destroy them."</p><p>"It just takes some time to heal," Esme said, her hand clamped over where her forearm had disconnected from her elbow.</p><p>"Everyone else is intact," Jasper said. Then he went on grimly, "We were lucky. Very lucky."</p><p><em>How did the Volturi get the jump on you?</em> Jake growled. Renesmee had run over to cling onto his front leg. <em>How the hell could this have happened?</em></p><p>Edward shook his head. "It wasn't easy to catch everyone's thoughts in the thick of battle, but I know this: it was a very carefully coordinated attack, planned well in advance. The Volturi were trying to take me, Bella, and Alice away, and kill off the rest." A shadow passed over his pale face. "Jane was in on the plan."</p><p>Cold disbelief washed down to my paws. <em>Jane? No way.</em> I lashed my tail back and forth. <em>I saw them take her!</em></p><p>"We know," Edward said. "They took off from here after knocking her out."</p><p>"Can we carry on this talk at home?" Rosalie helped Esme to her feet and her glare darted around the falls, the fire, and the rocks. "I'd feel a lot safer back there."</p><p>No one objected. Instead everyone nodded in relief and agreement. Jake, Leah, and I accompanied the Cullens to their house. Once we were there, we phased back and got changed into spare clothes borrowed from Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper.</p><p>Carlisle and Esme huddled in the living room couch together, nursing their wounds. I knew they would be okay eventually, but I hated to see such kind, gentle people hurt like this.</p><p>Leah shared my sentiment. "You two sure you don't need anything else?"</p><p>I saw even through her scowl, gruff tone, and crossed arms that she cared for them in her own way.</p><p>Esme smiled up at her. "We'll be fine, Leah. Thank you for your concern. Trust me, our own venom is our best medicine."</p><p>"Esme and I took the most damage because we're the least inexperienced in fighting," Carlisle said. "But we can bounce back from this."</p><p>I paced up and down by the glass windows, unable to sit still. "Okay, start all over from the beginning."</p><p>The Cullens took turns, bouncing off of each other to rehash the story of their strange encounter with the "hikers."</p><p>"They were hiding in these." Emmett flung something onto the edge of the living room, and we all recoiled.</p><p>The thing was a limp, deflated mishmash of human clothes and skin, like something out of a horror movie. The face, the mask, had holes for the eyes and lips. I shrank away, shut my eyes, and shuddered. Leah wrapped a comforting, protective arm around me.</p><p>"Human skinsuits," Carlisle said, and when I opened my eyes to look at him, for the first time since I met the good doctor, disgust and anger were written all over his face. "The Volturi used the bodies and clothes of real people to mask their scent. That's how they were able to sneak up on us undetected. I looked inside those things, and there's even a way to circulate blood and body odor through the suit. It's the perfect disguise for a vampire. Perfect and horrid."</p><p>"But what about their thoughts?" Jake's gaze darted between Edward and Alice. "Even if they could hide in human skins, couldn't you tell that they were gonna attack?"</p><p>Edward narrowed his eyes, and like the rest of us, avoided looking at the skinsuit on the floor. "Like I said, this ambush was meticulously coordinated. The Volturi chose their attackers carefully. The leader of the attack, the woman, just so happens to be the one protecting everyone's thoughts."</p><p>"She's a shield like Bella?" Leah asked.</p><p>"Not quite." Edward furrowed his brow. "My assessment of the situation in the middle of battle isn't perfect, but I believe she has the ability to manipulate memories, even to the point of making up identities."</p><p>"So she could make up human identities to her fellow vampires, and they could pose as lost hikers until it's the right time to strike." Jake caught on faster than I thought he would.</p><p>"Yes," Edward said, and his glance at Jake mirrored my surprise. "Though it seems that she had an effect on Jane, too...a far more long-term, insidious effect. When that woman snapped her fingers at the waterfall, it was like the gears shifted in the heads of everyone she had affected. With the 'hikers,' they remembered their objective to attack us. With Jane, she remembered that she had been among us to make that attack possible in the first place."</p><p>I had to sit down. I leaned against the window and slid down onto the floor. "It...it can't be...you're telling me that Jane was on their side the whole time?"</p><p>"I'm afraid so," Edward murmured.</p><p>Emmett was a lot less gentle about it. "She was a spy, an undercover agent! She just pretended to leave the Volturi. We fell for her act."</p><p>Rosalie made a sound of disgust. "I should've known it was too good to be true. No way that a little witch like her would want to ditch the Volturi and turn over a new leaf."</p><p>Alice's face was one of disappointment. "She lied to us..."</p><p>"Even to me?" At my question, everyone's gazes turned to cast down sympathy and pity on me. I stared at my palms, staring past them. "All those times we've had together, all that fun, were all those lies too?"</p><p>Leah rested a hand on my shoulder. "Think about it, Seth...why else would a vampire like her ever want to hang out with a wolf like you except to play pretend? I'm sorry, but everything she did with you couldn't have been for real."</p><p>"I don't want to believe that." I stumbled to my feet, though I did it too fast. I swayed before planting a hand on the window behind me. "I can't accept that Jane's been bad all this time." My mind raced as I tried to gather facts for my case. Facts besides the warm, fuzzy memories I shared with her. "What about when she protected Bella back at the falls? That guy who could've grabbed Bella was the one who took Jane...I ran after him, but I couldn't catch him." I didn't have Edward's mind-reading power, but I could make an educated guess. "I don't know exactly what he does, but I think he can make you pass out or something. If he took down Bella, that would've been real bad for all of you. But he didn't, because Jane took him down. How do you explain that?"</p><p>"You have a point, Seth," Bella said. "Someone with that kind of gift must've been ordered to specifically target me. If he made me pass out, I wouldn't have been able to shield everyone."</p><p>"Alec was part of the attack group," Edward added. "He looked different because of his disguise, but I could tell by his thoughts. If Bella's shield was taken out of the picture, his sensory deprivation would have brought down every one of us."</p><p>My eyes widened. "Jane's brother was there? Did...did you kill him?"</p><p>"No, he got away," Jasper replied. "We killed two men we didn't recognize, and the woman."</p><p>"And none of you are dead. That's fantastic," Jake remarked. "The Volturi screwed up big time and will be thinking twice about coming back. Now we can all relax."</p><p>Not me. "I'm gonna go after them," I muttered.</p><p>Leah gawked at me. "What did you just say?"</p><p>I raised my voice. "I have to rescue Jane."</p><p>"Are you crazy?" Jake snapped. "Didn't you hear what everyone else said about her?"</p><p>"None of you saw what I saw!" After my outburst, I drew in a deep, shaky breath and tried to compose myself. "Jake, Leah, and I saw the Volturi on the run. They carried off Jane like they were kidnapping her, so I ran after them. She woke up and called my name." My voice shook. "She was scared. Real scared. She reached out her hand to me. She was begging me to save her. That couldn't have been an act."</p><p>With a weary look on his face, Carlisle showed a glimpse of his true age. "I believe you, Seth, and I saw how Jane had protected Bella. Perhaps she had a change of heart, after all. In that case, the Volturi will certainly punish her for not following through on her mission."</p><p>"Punish her and kill her, right?" I felt the warmth leave my face.</p><p>Alice nodded. "Like Jacob said, the Volturi have completely failed in their attempt to destroy us. It'll be easy for them to put all the blame and their wrath on Jane. That's why they're taking her back to Volterra, to make an example of her. I don't even need to see into the future to know that."</p><p>I clenched a fist at my side. "I can't let that happen."</p><p>"There's nothing you <em>can</em> do, Seth." Leah grabbed me by the wrist, and lowered her voice to a growl. "Don't you go running off on your own on me. I won't let you."</p><p>I snatched my arm out of her grip. "Try and stop me."</p><p>Jake stepped up to grab me by the shoulders. His fingers dug into me like claws. "Listen to yourself, Seth," he said through clenched teeth. "You're not talking sense at all. Running off to Volterra, halfway across the world, on a suicide mission just to save one vamp like some hero? Like some guy in love?"</p><p>I snapped. I pushed Jake back, sending him flying into the corner of the living room. He struck the wall and sprawled on his side, startled and dazed.</p><p>"Maybe I <em>am</em> that guy, okay?" Heat bubbled up inside me like magma. I felt my control slipping by the second. I couldn't settle my glare on any one who looked at me in disbelief. "There, I said it. I love Jane."</p><p>Edward expressed no surprise, but gave me a pained look like he had known all along. "Seth, you're in love with someone who wasn't herself."</p><p>"That's not true! You don't even know what she's like when she's 'really herself.' None of you know her like I do. None of you have ever bothered to get to really know her." Memories of how Jane had opened up to me came flooding in, flooding out. Because for all her vulnerability and honesty, she had never made me promise to keep it all a secret, because I couldn't help myself. "She had a kid at fifteen, from one of the three scumbags who attacked her. The village she came from treated her like complete shit. They stoned her mom, took her kid away, and burned her with her brother on a stake. Where do you think she got her power from? Why do you think she's been so good at dishing out pain? Because it's <em>her</em> pain!"</p><p>Silence had dropped like a stone in the whole house, the kind of silence that would let you hear a pin drop on the floor. Esme and Rosalie's faces had taken on a different kind of blanched horror than the rest. I was trembling from head to toe, hot all over, the wolf in me about to claw its way out.</p><p>"I don't think Jane was making that up. And she had a great time while she was here with us. I don't think she was making that up either." I blinked hard, and that sent more tears running down my face.</p><p>"I thought you all would have my back." Disappointment at everyone around me made my voice tremble. I settled my gaze on Bella. "No one stopped you from going all the way to Volterra to save Edward. You even had some help on the way. I thought that you of all people would get that you'd do anything to save the one you love." I looked at the other couples now. "What if the Volturi had taken any one of you? Wouldn't the one left behind do whatever it takes to save the other? How is me wanting to save Jane any different? Were you gonna side with Jake and Leah too? Tell me that I'm out of my mind? That's not fair!"</p><p>Some of the Cullens looked away from me in shame.</p><p>I turned away and set my jaw. "Stay here if you want. I'm gonna go save Jane because it's the right thing to do."</p><p>I bolted out of the house, not waiting for an answer from the Cullens or the pack. I was barely down the stairs outside when the wolf in me was set free. I threw a glance over my shoulder before I set my glare and bared teeth on the forest path ahead.</p><p>With my glance I had thrown back a challenge: <em>If you come after me and get in my way, I'll bite and claw through you if I have to.</em></p><p>Maybe I wasn't thinking straight, after all. But isn't that what it means to be in love?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>I didn't know how long I floated in the void. Was I asleep? It had been so long since I ever had to sleep that I couldn't remember...</p><p>What I last remembered before slipping into the void was the sand-colored face of a wolf, and those dark eyes of his I've grown to know so well.</p><p>"Seth," I breathed.</p><p>"Ah, she is finally awake."</p><p>Aro's voice drifted into my ears like wingbeats of a butterfly. I blinked open my eyes, feeling so sluggish and heavy that I could sink into the floor. I was no longer in the forest of Forks, but in a chamber of marble. I've walked across this floor so many times, stood behind those thrones for countless more, but I didn't feel like I had come back home.</p><p>Caius and Marcus remained seated, while Aro had risen to his feet and walked forward to stand closest to me. Alec stood beside Aro's vacated throne. I've known my brother long enough to sense unhappiness simmering below his mask of stoicism.</p><p>Aro looked down at me with clasped hands and a faint smile. "Welcome back, my dear. We have much to discuss."</p><p>I couldn't move my arms. A vicelike grip kept my wrists together behind my back. The same powerful grip had me by the neck, just under my jaw. I couldn't turn to see who held me from behind, but I didn't need to look to know. I'd seen him do this to many offending vampires over the centuries. Felix.</p><p>Despite Aro's smile, I knew that this would be far from a cordial discussion.</p><p>"Explain yourself, Jane," Caius hissed. His fingers formed white claws over the armrests. "We have failed to retrieve the three persons of interest, we have failed to destroy the rest of the Cullens, and we have lost members of our guard in combat, including Phuong...all because of you." He spat out the last word.</p><p>I had no recollection nor experience of the entire battle, so hearing the outcomes from Caius made me feel a strange wave of relief. The Cullens had survived the ambush, then.</p><p>Caius was so livid that glittering rage blotted out the translucence in his eyes. "We had entrusted you with an extremely important mission, one we were certain that you would fulfill. We depended on you to bring back valuable gifts to our ranks. You were supposed to be the key to the Cullens' destruction. Instead you've brought the shame and humiliation of defeat on our heads."</p><p>Aro raised a hand to stem the flow of Caius's rant. "Enough, brother. I doubt that we will get any answers from her that way."</p><p>I couldn't see or hear a trace of anger from Aro, but I could tell that he was far from pleased.</p><p>"Jane, my dear, I am terribly disappointed in you. Never would I have expected in all my life that you would become a disservice to the Volturi. A disservice to me. After all that you have done on our behalf, after all your years of dedication and loyalty, what on earth possessed you to waver now?"</p><p>His inquiring approach was a thousand times more gentler than Caius's. Still, I could not bring myself to reply. Like a daughter before a disappointed father, I found it hard to lift my gaze from the marble floor and meet his eyes. Shame swelled into a bitter taste over my tongue. I looked past Aro, at Alec, to find that his eyes beseeched me for an answer.</p><p>Uncomfortable silence seemed to stretch for an eternity. Then it was broken by someone none of us would ever expect.</p><p>"A wolf," Marcus said.</p><p>Caius shot him a look of disbelief. "I beg your pardon?"</p><p>Marcus rose from his throne, and for the first time in my life, intrigue flickered in those flat, dead eyes of his. "She is bound to a wolf. I sense the bond even as the wolf is not here."</p><p>Aro burst out laughing. "Oh, dear Marcus, you've picked the most awful time to make a joke."</p><p>Marcus said nothing. He merely settled back into his throne without a sound, as if speaking up had taken all the energy out of him. His lips were set in a rigid thin line, neither perking up nor down to reveal any emotion. His gaze on Aro, however, said that he was far from joking.</p><p>The smile faded from Aro's face. "You're serious." He turned to me, to Felix, and beckoned at him. "I must see this for myself."</p><p>Felix released his grip on my neck to grab one of my hands, forcing it outward with my palm facing up. Aro stepped forward to clasp both hands over mine. I could do nothing to stop him from picking up the stream of all my thoughts. Every second, minute, hour, and day of my time with the Cullens, with Seth, were laid bare for Aro to see, like a grand tapestry of the past unfurling before him.</p><p>Aro's face turned into a kaleidoscope of silent reactions: skepticism, disbelief, wonder, and finally, disappointment. "It's true," he breathed. "Marcus was right. Our very own Jane is bound by love to one of the wolf changelings."</p><p>"Outrageous," Caius exclaimed.</p><p>Alec said nothing, but his eyes wide with shock and horror told me enough.</p><p>Aro released my hand, and Felix returned my arm behind my back with a rough tug. I slumped my shoulders and fixed my gaze to the marble floor.</p><p>"I expected much better from you, Jane," Aro said softly. "You cut me to the quick with your betrayal. The Volturi do not give second chances, but because you've been such a dedicated servant, I had thought about giving you one to make up for your mistakes. Unfortunately, what Marcus said changes everything. Not even Chelsea can rectify this. Not when love is involved. Love can be such a confounding thing, yes, but I didn't expect it to ensnare the best of us." He shook his head. "What a shame. What a terrible, terrible shame."</p><p>He took several steps back, half turning toward his co-rulers. "Perhaps there is one last resort to make you change your mind, my dear." He spread out his hands. "Remember that I do this because I love you like a daughter. A parent has to discipline his child sometime." He brought his hands back together and gave me a look of apology before nodding at Caius.</p><p>At the narrowing of his eyes, a fiery pain shot up from beneath me, lancing from my feet and up my legs. Felix released me as I crumpled to the floor.</p><p>"What? How—?" I gasped.</p><p>"We have added many gifted individuals to our ranks since you were away," Aro explained, and gestured to the pair of guards standing to attention by the double doors. "While Tiago had put you to sleep for a bit, Ilya took away your power and gave it to Caius. Just a matter of precaution."</p><p>Inducing unconsciousness and power transfer...potent and useful gifts, indeed. Now I understood why Aro had no qualms about seizing certain Cullens by force. Had I been successful in my mission, and brought back Bella, Alice, and Edward as instructed, they would have been subject to Ilya's gift-stealing.</p><p>"Aro thought about giving your power back as an act of forgiveness." That made Caius curl up his lip. "But your betrayal is far beyond forgiving. And I would very much like to hang on to this gift of yours for a while longer."</p><p>He dealt me another wave of pain that made me grit my teeth and dig my fingers into the marble.</p><p>Aro raised a hand to rein in Caius, and his gaze down upon me was filled with pity. "You don't have to suffer anymore, my dear. Renounce your love for the wolf. Renew your vow of loyalty to the Volturi. Do both of those things, and I will restore your power and status to you."</p><p>I pulled myself up to a kneeling position. My ribbon had fallen out sometime during the skirmish, so my hair hung in an unbound mess past my ears. My blouse and jeans, dirtied from the scuffle by the waterfall, looked very out of place in this throne room with finely robed occupants. How far I had fallen. But I was glad to take the fall.</p><p>Power—that was all that mattered to Aro. He claimed to love and treat me like a daughter, but without my power, I was useless to him. Until now, I'd been ignorant of that reality. My power and Alec's were the very reason why Aro had bothered to acknowledge our existence in the first place. For more than a thousand years I've equated being loved with being useful.</p><p>Seth had come along and completely dashed that idea to the ground. He loved me without my power, and when I did show him that power, he saw the pain behind it, understood it, shed tears for me, and still took me in with open arms. Aro could never give me that.</p><p>Under the Volturi, I had clung on to power and status. That used to be my life. Now I lived for love. I would rather die for it, too. Everyone waited with bated breath for my decision.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Master," I said softly, "but you're giving me an offer that I can't take."</p><p>"You're a disgrace," Caius hissed.</p><p>A strangled cry slipped past my lips as the pain intensified. I doubled over and clutched at my torso. This time Aro made no signal to let up on the mental assault against me. Caius unleashed my stolen gift with reckless abandon. Unseen fire seared through every inch of my body, blazing on and on, until it reached the point of driving anyone mad.</p><p>But not me. I narrowed my eyes and uncurled myself to plant my feet on the floor. "My gift suits you well, Caius," I managed to say. "You've always taken pleasure in dealing out pain." I lifted my glare to his disbelieving face. "But you don't have the slightest idea of the power you have now. That's <em>my</em> pain you're using. Mine alone. Who are you to use my own pain against me?"</p><p>I staggered to my feet, braving through an inferno that had consumed me before. Caius sprang up from his throne, as if attempting to use his height to dominate me and crush my rebellion. I tipped up my chin to him and let a streak of arrogance embolden me. "I lived through that pain once. I can live through it again. You have no power over me."</p><p>A hand slammed into my back, planting me facefirst into the marble floor. "You're the one with no power," Felix snarled. He hoisted me up by the collar and swung a punch straight into my gut. There came a dull crack. I couldn't hold back a cry of pain. If I was human, I would have coughed up blood from that blow. He hissed into my ear, "That's for stealing my spot as the top guard." He flung me down, this time onto my back, and pressed me further into the floor with a stomp on my chest. "Feels good to have it back, now that you're weak and worthless."</p><p>"You don't have to do that."</p><p>It wasn't any of the triumvirate who had spoken, but Alec. He didn't raise his voice beyond a shout, yet everyone looked at him as if he had. My brother hunched his shoulders and peered at Felix with distaste. "You don't have to do that," he said again. "She has been punished enough."</p><p>"Alec is right," Caius said. "To some extent, anyway. I see the error of my ways. If Jane can withstand her own pain, then that is no punishment." He waved at Felix. "Take her to the prison cells. I have something better in mind for her."</p><p>Aro didn't speak up to oppose Caius, but only murmured "I'm sorry, my dear," to me. His apology rang hollow. As long as my gift could still be used in the Volturi, no matter who wielded it now, I no longer mattered to him.</p><p>The cracks of my wounds hadn't yet sealed over as Felix hauled me up and dragged me out of the throne room. I grimaced and groaned, but had nowhere near the strength needed to put up a fight. When I looked at Alec, I caught a glimpse of a war raging between love for me and loyalty for the Volturi on his face. Then the double doors slammed shut behind me.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>No one answered to my challenge. Still, I kept on hurtling through the forest, ready to fight anyone who would dare get in my way.</p><p>I retraced the route that the Volturi had taken to escape. The trace of an achingly familiar scent wafted into my nose, somewhere in the overgrown shrubs. Maybe Jane had somehow slipped away?</p><p>I stopped before the shrubs, where the scent came from, and when I poked my muzzle through, my heart sank. It wasn't Jane, but the black ribbon she'd been using to tie her hair back. I grasped it between my teeth, and all the drive to keep on running left me. I stumbled back and sank into the dirt, with a whine low in my throat.</p><p>The ribbon dropped between my paws. There was no use running. Where could I go? Like Jake said, Volterra was a whole ocean away. By the time I'd get over there by swimming, Jane would be torn to pieces. And even if I could get there in time, by some miracle, I'd be a lone wolf against an entire fortress of the world's most powerful vampires. I'd be hopelessly outmatched.</p><p>I dug my muzzle farther into my paws the more I felt the odds stacked up against me. The scent of Jane lingering on her ribbon was the only tiny comfort I had. It may just be the only thing I'll have left of her. A typhoon of memories swirled next into my mind, as I tried to cling on to other pieces of her. Those rare smiles and laughs of hers, all those times she went out of her way to help me with school, even how she broke my heart by saying that we couldn't be together, the sadness and self-loathing in her eyes when she said that she didn't deserve me...I held on to these precious memories with all my might.</p><p>I thought that this would spur me to my paws, get me running again. Instead it made me want to cry and stay lying down.</p><p>I was so swallowed up in my sorrows that I hadn't noticed Jake and Leah padding up to me until I felt a muzzle brushing my ear. I tipped up my nose from my paws to see them standing over me.</p><p><em>Hey... </em>Leah's voice was the softest I had ever heard from her. <em>I'm so sorry.</em> She bent down her neck to brush her cheek against mine.</p><p>Despite the rage that got me practically flying out of the Cullen house, I didn't have it in me to fight her and Jake now.</p><p>Leah lowered herself into the dirt next to me, her body pressing against mine. <em>I've been there. I know what heartbreak feels like.</em></p><p><em>Me too. </em>Jake settled in on my other side.</p><p>Their sympathy overwhelmed me into tears, and my sobs came out as whines. We huddled there in the forest, three wolves sharing the pain of broken hearts and lost loves. Leah and Jake on either side of me felt like pillars of support. I was glad that I couldn't push them away.</p><p><em>I get why you love her so much</em>, Leah said, no doubt from our linked minds. <em>Seems like she really did care about you, too.</em></p><p><em>It doesn't matter now.</em> I squeezed my eyes shut. <em>I was talking real big about saving her. I have no idea how to do that.</em></p><p>She rose to her paws. <em>Me neither, but I know this: I got your back, Seth.</em></p><p>Jake got up too. <em>We'll find a way. Don't we always?</em></p><p>I looked between them with wide-eyed shock. <em>You two really want to help me?</em></p><p>Jake nodded his russet brown head solemnly. <em>We're a pack, and a pack always sticks together. No way we're letting you go alone. It's our fault that we almost let you.</em></p><p>My ears perked and I wagged my tail. <em>Thanks, guys. Your support means a lot.</em></p><p>Leah turned away and back in a small circle to pick up something rectangular and leathery in her teeth. <em>By the way, we came across this while we looked for you.</em></p><p>My ears twitched as I recognized the thing she held. Jane's phone. That had fallen out, too. Good thing it had a case to make it fang-proof. I picked up the ribbon with my teeth and nodded my thanks at Leah. Together we made our way back to La Push. Leah gave Jane's phone over to me, and I also held on to the hope that I could give it back to her.</p><p>I couldn't go to sleep that night. When my phone vibrated on the nightstand, I almost jumped out of bed to check it. Edward was calling. For the first time in my life, I wasn't happy about getting a call from him. What did he want? Was I going to get a lecture on why I shouldn't go save Jane? I forced myself to pick up just before the phone would stop ringing.</p><p>There was no usual polite greeting. He got straight to the point. "Seth, if you don't have class tomorrow, please come to our house first thing in the morning."</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>"We would like to apologize in person."</p><p>I plopped back down on my bed. I didn't expect to hear that. "S-sure, I'll be there."</p><p>The next morning, I headed for the Cullen house by myself. I hardly got any sleep the night before, but I felt a lot better today than yesterday.</p><p>Esme greeted me at the door, ushering me in with her newly healed arm.</p><p>"So glad to see you're looking better," I told her.</p><p>She rested her hand on my shoulder in a brief motherly way, her skin cool and almost soothing against mine.</p><p>Carlisle was looking good as new, too. The family was gathered in the living room, expecting my arrival. The skinsuit from yesterday was nowhere in sight. What a relief. I hated looking at that thing.</p><p>"We thought it wouldn't feel right if we said sorry over the phone," Edward said. "So we wanted to tell you face-to-face."</p><p>"We're kind of old-fashioned that way," Jasper said with a crooked grin.</p><p>"We thought a lot about what you had said last night, Seth, and you're right." Bella's face was full of contrite sincerity. "We're all very sorry. It's not fair that we held you and Jane to a double standard. And..." She averted her gaze to the carpet. "It's my fault that I couldn't shield her when the Volturi attacked. If I had protected her, she wouldn't have been taken away."</p><p>I felt a swell of appreciation at the first part, but when she brought up the battle, I said, "Oh no, Bella, I don't blame you for that! You barely had any idea of what happened. And it all happened so quickly."</p><p>"There was Jane's dodgy behavior, too," Emmett said. "One moment she was protecting Bella, and the next she protected her brother from me. We didn't know which side she was on."</p><p>"I don't think she knew, either," I said. "I mean, I wasn't actually there at the falls, but from the sound of it, I think she was torn both ways."</p><p>Carlisle nodded. "That makes sense. It seems that Jane had acted out of instinct to avert the most pressing crisis, which meant protecting Bella, and she acted again to save her brother. There are people she cared about on both sides, and she acted accordingly."</p><p>"That battle wasn't the only factor that made us reconsider Jane," Alice said. She regarded me with a graveness beyond her physical age. "Last night, not long after you left our house, I had a vision of her at Volterra. She will be brought before the Volturi rulers like a defendant, and will be asked to answer for her failures. She'll be given a chance to rejoin the Volturi if she breaks ties with you."</p><p>My mouth went dry. "What will she tell them?"</p><p>"I'm not sure. My visions come and go in flashes. They last for just a few seconds. But the next thing I saw was Caius making Jane writhe on the floor in agony."</p><p>I held on to the back of the living room sofa for support. "She must've turned down that chance. And she'll get punished for it." The gears in my head rewinded. "Wait, who the hell is Caius? How is Jane getting a taste of her own medicine?"</p><p>"I can see visions along with Alice as she gets them," Edward said. "Caius is one of the three rulers, the cruelest of them. We don't have the whole picture of what happened, but my guess is that somehow Caius steals Jane's power for himself and uses it against her."</p><p>"That's terrible." I'd hate to see what Alice had seen.</p><p>"Jane will choose you over the Volturi...unbelievable..." Rosalie looked at me with awe. "Knowing her, I never would have expected her to do that in a million years." Guilt flickered in her golden eyes and made her purse her lips. "Then again, like you said, none of us really got to know her..."</p><p>Suddenly Alice stiffened at the couch like a rod. "I'm getting another vision," she said. "I don't recognize this place."</p><p>Jasper brought her a pen and paper in a flash. Clearly he was used to this as a routine with his mate. "What do you see?" he asked.</p><p>Alice stared ahead, while her hand and pen flitted over the paper as if having a life of its own. "I see...stone walls all around...shackles...no windows...a cell. I see Jane. She's...she's hanging from shackles..." She trailed off as she filled in details of the sketch: a figure representing Jane slumped against the wall, deep, dark holes for eyes, a gash of ink down the belly.</p><p>Bella frowned down at the drawing. "Those eyes can only mean thirst. They're black and bruised. But what's that?" She pointed at the gash of ink.</p><p>"That's blood."</p><p>Alice's response made us all stiffen in shock. Edward confirmed with a grim nod.</p><p>"Blood? From a vampire? How's that possible?" I asked. "I thought that vampires don't bleed."</p><p>"Only one thing could do that," Carlisle said. "The fangs and claws from Children of the Moon."</p><p>I blinked at him. "Children of the Moon? Like, real werewolves?"</p><p>"Yes, our true enemy, different from shapeshifters such as yourself, Seth. Very few things can kill and wound vampires. The first is dismemberment followed by burning. The second are blows inflicted by Children of the Moon. We compete with them for our common food source: human blood. That is why we have been bitter natural enemies. When our bodies are in contact with their fangs and claws, we lose the blood we had consumed. In other words, we're drained of our source of energy. Of all the things in the world, only the fangs and claws of Children of the Moon are strong enough to make us shed blood."</p><p>Carlisle stared at the TV, but from the faraway look in his eyes, it was more like he was watching some part of his past instead. "I've seen it in action only once, during my brief time with the Volturi. A guard was caught trying to seduce Caius's wife, Athenodora. Caius force-fed him human blood, enough to make him almost burst. Then came the most painful torture possible: a week of lying in a cell with the claw of a Child of the Moon embedded in the belly. That poor guard bled and starved for days before he was finished off. The Volturi reserve this punishment for only the worst crimes. It's something that I never want to see again. It's like forcing a human to gorge himself on food, then forcing him to vomit everything he had just eaten."</p><p>Bile crept up the back of my throat, and I swallowed hard. The Cullens around me shared my discomfort.</p><p>Carlisle folded his arms across his chest and hunched his shoulders, as if it sickened him to know all of this. "If Alice's vision is true, then soon Jane will face the same punishment."</p><p>I was horrified beyond words. "They'll stab her and starve her, then kill her by the next week." I shook my head. "I-I can't let that happen to her. No way in hell."</p><p>"That's why we'll come with you to save Jane."</p><p>Edward's declaration took me aback. "Y-you all would really do that?"</p><p>"The Volturi made an unprovoked attack on us," Alice said. "This isn't the first time they've made moves trying to take down our coven. What's going to happen to Jane is absolutely awful, yes, but this is bigger than her, too. We're all involved as well, and we'd be fools to pretend that we can get on with our lives. The Volturi have done nothing short of declaring all-out war. And this time we'll bring the fight to them."</p><p>Edward nodded. "The Volturi claim to be a peacekeeping entity, but that's just a guise to enforce their rule on the vampire world. Their oppressive rule has gone on long enough. As long as they exist, they'll keep seeing our family as a threat, and they'll keep coming after us until either we're wiped out or they'll take our gifts for themselves. It's time we stop standing by, and start taking matters into our own hands."</p><p>"I'm all for bringing down evil vampires," I said. "It's in my blood. Count me in!"</p><p>All this talk of war seemed to put Carlisle very ill at ease. "I've done my best to avoid conflict with the Volturi since I had parted ways with them. Much as I hate to admit it, Alice and Edward are right about their tyrannical ways. They have to be stopped, even if that means they have to be eliminated."'</p><p>Emmett pressed his fist into his palm. "So it's official. We're going to spring a counterattack!"</p><p>"We'll need a strategy first," Jasper said. "We can't just jump in without one. If Alice is right about Jane's future, then we have a week to plan."</p><p>"I don't want to wait around for a week," I exclaimed. "We're gonna let Jane get tortured while we sit here twiddling our thumbs?"</p><p>"I hear you, Seth, and I agree that time is of the essence," Jasper replied patiently. "I'm just saying that we have at least that window of opportunity to act. And we can't act rashly. We'll be going up against the world's most powerful coven, after all."</p><p>"What about Renesmee?" Bella asked. "My shield will make me crucial to the counterattack, I know that, but I don't want to bring my daughter into a war."</p><p>"I can stay behind to look after her," Esme replied. "A fight between our covens is inevitable, but to be honest, I've seen enough of fighting for a while. I would be of better use here as Renesmee's protector than as part of the attack in Volterra."</p><p>"I echo her sentiment," Carlisle said, and rested a hand on Renesmee's small shoulder. "The three of us would be more of a burden than an asset there."</p><p>Edward gave his parents a grateful nod. "I understand, and thank you."</p><p>That left the rest of us good to go for the counterstrike, but then Esme said, "You should let your mother know, Seth. I wouldn't feel right about letting you run off to Volterra without her blessing first."</p><p>Right, Mom. I nodded. "I wouldn't feel good about that, either. I'll tell her today. I have to tell Jake and Leah about our plan, too."</p><p>That'll be anything but easy, but I owed Mom the truth after all this time. Leah and I had some leeway with where we could go around town, but we definitely couldn't just drop out of the country without letting Mom know. It was time she learned about Jane. Mom had to know how much she meant to me.</p><p>I would have to tell her later today, because she was at work. Leah and I had leftover salmon for lunch without her, so that was when I let Leah in on the plan.</p><p>"Good, the Cullens got your back," she said with a nod of satisfaction. "They can find a quick way to get to Volterra, I bet. I don't know what Mom's going to say, but I think she'll feel better knowing that we have the Cullens on our side."</p><p>"You're ready to kick vampire butt?" I asked. "What about wanting to get away from all that business and just thinking about college?"</p><p>Of all the wolves in La Push, Leah hated phasing the most. She really wanted to put it behind her and live a normal life. I felt bad for dragging her into this mess.</p><p>Leah put down her fork and gave me a solemn look. "I put protecting you above everything else. That's my job as your big sister."</p><p>I smiled. "Thanks. You're the best big sister ever."</p><p>After lunch, I made the mistake of taking an afternoon nap. Carlisle's story of the werewolf claw torture gave me the worst nightmare I've had in a while.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I made up the idea that vampires bleed from wounds inflicted by fangs and claws of Children of the Moon. It's not canon, but from a sort of biological/zoological viewpoint, it makes sense to me. Vampires rely on blood for sustenance, and their werewolf competitors are armed with ways to put their enemy at a selective disadvantage. Hope that makes sense to you readers, too.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>Still winded and aching all over from Felix's beatings, I staggered on numb feet as I was forced down the stairwell. Felix kept a tight grip on my shoulder, the kind that could easily break a human's collarbone. He clamped his hand down on me so hard that I could hear the crack of my skin.</p><p>I winced and bit back a curse. "Let up, will you? I'm not going anywhere."</p><p>He ignored me as we continued our descent. At the entrance to the prison cells, Demetri waited for us. When Felix approached him with me in tow, he flanked us so that he shadowed my other side. I didn't miss how glee had flitted across his face upon seeing me. He was enjoying my fall from grace as much as Felix did.</p><p>I wasn't stupid. I've known for centuries how much Felix and Demetri resented me and my brother for usurping their positions as the top guards. The fear that Alec and I imposed with our gifts made Felix and Demetri keep their resentment behind tight lips. Now that I was stripped of my power, those two didn't have to hold back their hatred towards me.</p><p>As I stumbled down the gloomy hallway, trying to keep up with their long stride, I wished I could have my power back just this once, just to wipe the smug grins off their faces and make a break for it.</p><p>Demetri unlocked an empty cell and made a mock inviting gesture to me. "Your very own room, princess."</p><p>Felix shoved me inside. He released his grip on my shoulder so I sprawled on the aged stone floor. He hauled me up before I could find my own footing.</p><p>"Got gloves on?" he asked, pushing me against the wall and forcing me to my knees.</p><p>"Of course," Demetri replied. "But thanks for the reminder."</p><p>Together they pulled back my sleeves, exposing my bare wrists, and chained me to the shackles bolted to the wall above my head. I hissed as the metal burned my wrists. They weren't just any old shackles. They'd been laced with melted tooth enamel from Children of the Moon. A dull burn settled into my wrists as I hung from the shackles. The more I'd struggle and try to break free, the more intense the burn. Felix and Demetri wore thick gloves to protect themselves while they had handled the shackles.</p><p>Felix smiled down at me. "The best part is yet to come."</p><p>I curled my fingers into fists and gritted my teeth. I knew what was coming, but I never thought in all my years of service to the Volturi that I would be at the receiving end of it. Caius entered the cell a few minutes later. Felix and Demetri lingered by the cell door, eager to watch.</p><p>"Well, Jane, here we are." Caius peered down at me without lowering his nose, imperious and without remorse. "Aro had wanted a quick death for you, but he has doted on you long enough. I opted for giving out a long, harsh lesson...not just for you, but for every member of the Volturi. Everyone in this castle will learn the consequences of failing and betraying the coven, and no one will forget it. I'll make sure of that."</p><p>Caius held a large flagon in one hand. I couldn't see what was in it, but I could certainly smell it. Human blood. I had no wolf-scented mask to ward me from the temptation this time. Caius knelt down and took my chin into his other hand.</p><p>"Intriguing eyes you have," he remarked. "I'm used to seeing red around here, not amber. Seems that you've been trying to be a good girl with the Cullens. You almost could've been piss-eyed." He smirked. "Let's reverse the course."</p><p>He tightened his grip on my chin, prying my jaw open, and tipped the flagon into my mouth. I thrashed and choked on the blood, trying to resist the force-feeding, but soon I caved in and gave into my base instincts. Caius emptied the flagon into me down to the last drop. I sagged against the shackles, sated and filled with shame.</p><p>He handed off the flagon to Demetri. "There, that's better. Amber eyes don't suit you."</p><p>I knew he wasn't done with me. The force-feeding was only half of the punishment.</p><p>From the folds of his dark cloak, with both a leather glove and velvet cloth protecting his hand, Caius drew out something curved and pointed at the end, a dull yellow crescent as long as my hand from the base of my palm to the tip of my middle finger.</p><p>A claw from a Child of the Moon. My gut froze into pure ice.</p><p>Caius gripped the base of it and had the point facing me. He knelt down to my level once more, and without preamble, plunged the claw into my stomach.</p><p>Nothing, not even the shackles that burned my wrists, could prepare me for the spear of pure agony. A primal scream ripped from my throat. I arched back so violently that I struck my head against the wall. I squeezed my eyes shut so hard that I saw white stars. The claw wasn't long enough to completely run me through, yet I felt as if the spear of pain had torn an exit wound through my back.</p><p>Base instincts to survive fought against my better judgment. My arms and hands moved as if on their own, straining against the shackles so they could grab the claw and pull it out. As I looked down at my painful, futile efforts, blood drained from my stomach wound. It ran down to pool on the stone floor between my legs.</p><p>That brought me back to the forest near my hometown, to the "game" the village boys had played with me. Shutting my eyes to see white stars again was a relief from that memory.</p><p>Caius rose to his feet and joined Felix and Demetri at the door. "Well, Jane, enjoy your week down here." And with that, they left me alone to the world of pain that wracked every fiber of my body.</p><p>Blood I had just been forced to gulp down left me so soon...my body went into shock from the rebound.</p><p>I had to live through a week of this? I would rather die.</p><p>The claw embedded in my stomach sent another bolt of agony through me. I started coughing up blood. Terrible hot spasms seized my chest and stomach with each bout of vomiting. My body was trapped here. Nothing I could do about that. So I tried to take my mind somewhere else.</p><p>My first reaction was regret that I had ever stood up for my love of Seth. I had told him that we couldn't be together, anyway. Love between a vampire and a wolf would only lead to disaster, and this was it. I could have just renounced my bond with him to retake my place among the Volturi guard. I could have spared myself all this pain and misery.</p><p>Then the next thing I felt was regret over having that regret. Rejoining the Volturi would mean knowing that I'd go back to being a tool for Aro. Snapped out of the influence from Chelsea's gift, broken free of complete adoration for my savior, I realized that I'd been adoring the man whose only interest in me came from molding me into a weapon. His weapon. For years I had contented myself with being used that way. I had lost my mother, lost my son, and almost died at the stake because I was weak. So when I was given the strength to live on, I had believed that having power was the only real way to live.</p><p>Seth helped me realize that there was much more to life than power, that I could find happiness and fulfillment without it. He had shown me how humans, in all their fragility and weakness and fleeting mortality, could find more reward and joy in their lives than I ever had.</p><p>Languishing in this cell, I tried to cling onto those times he had helped me see the truth. All those Latin lessons, singing in church and in the Cullens' home, riding roller coasters, winning rigged games, catching fish at the pier, and running through dandelions...</p><p>Somehow I found myself cracking a fond smile at those memories, even through all the pain. Another kind of ache overwhelmed me. I missed Seth. I had pushed him away, thinking I could protect him, but now, feeling selfish, all I wanted was to see him again. I wanted to know if he'll ace his Latin class. I wanted him to take me back to the theme park. I wanted to catch more fish with him. I wanted to sing for him. Most of all, I wanted to see more of him smiling and laughing.</p><p>All those wants, though, were just delirious attempts to escape the agony, to escape the fate that awaited me by the end of the week. I was never going to see Seth again. A ragged sob escaped me before I could contain it.</p><p>It turned out that Demetri had been the one guarding my cell for the past two days. On the third day, it was Felix's turn. He strode into my cell, holding the limp, bloodied body of some girl he had picked off the street.</p><p>By now the claw had drained all the blood from my last meal. Thirst burned in my throat. At the smell of more blood, a wave of ravenous desire surged up from inside me. Before I could swallow it down, pooling venom squeezed past the corners of my lips to run down my chin, like I was some beast salivating at fresh meat.</p><p>Felix smirked. "Smells delicious, doesn't she? Really makes your mouth water." He didn't take a step closer, holding the girl's body just out of reach. He stood so close to me that someone with a longer neck could reach out and sink his teeth into the girl. His taunt made me growl.</p><p>I didn't think he could insult me any further, but he lifted the girl's neck to his mouth and drank her blood right in front of me.</p><p>Unable to wipe my chin clean, I spat at him and bared my teeth, completing the resemblance of a rabid, chained dog. "Rot in hell."</p><p>Felix lowered the body and leered, his red eyes flickering up and down at my pathetic state. "Looks like you got there before me." He turned away to resume his post. I heard him handing off the body to Demetri, telling him to take care of it.</p><p>Left alone in the cell once more, I sagged in my shackles. Four more days to go. Killing me would be a mercy at this point.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>Mom came home late for dinner, which became the usual since the pandemic put more and more people in the hospital. She was an amazing cook, but I couldn't bring myself to eat more than a few bites. She noticed, of course.</p><p>"Something wrong, Seth?"</p><p>I put down my fork, not knowing where to start. I shook my head. "Just a long day. A really long day."</p><p>"More tired than hungry." She nodded in understanding. "Just one of those days, huh?"</p><p>I'm glad she wasn't offended that I couldn't clear my plate of food like usual.</p><p>"I don't mind cleaning up on my own if you want to hit the sack early," she said.</p><p>Leah and I exchanged a glance before I said, "Actually, we need to talk. It's really important."</p><p>"Let me clean up," Leah offered. "It should be just between you and Seth, Mom."</p><p>Mom blinked. "Oh, all right."</p><p>After dinner, she and I sat in the living room, while there came the clinking and clattering from Leah cleaning up in the background. I sank into the giant teddy bear that Jane had won for me, taking comfort in how soft it was.</p><p>Mom leaned in from the couch, grilling me with her best "what did you do now?" look. "Okay, Seth, what's this about? Anytime we 'need to talk,' it's not good." She lowered her voice to a scandalized whisper. "Don't tell me that you fooled around and knocked up some girl."</p><p>"What? No!" My voice shot up so high that it cracked. "It's not that at all!" I looked down at my hands. "Well, it <em>is</em> about a girl..."</p><p>I hadn't done any preparation or rehearsal leading up to this. There was no time for it, anyway. I went with speaking from my heart, starting from the day that the Cullens had brought in Jane to the day we lost her. I told her that I had all the Cullen family's support in this, that they have a way to get to Volterra. Mom sat still and listened patiently without interrupting. Years of working as a nurse, at the bedside of many patients, made her really good at that. I appreciated Mom for being such a good listener, especially after a long, hard day at work. Somehow I had summed up almost a year in a few minutes, and when that thought struck me, I couldn't believe how quickly time had passed since Jane and I had met.</p><p>Amazing how much a year spent with someone special could do to you.</p><p>After I finally finished, Mom said nothing for a while. Then she extended a palm facing up. "You have pictures?"</p><p>My cheeks grew hot. "Oh, yeah. Lots." I fumbled for my phone, swiped to the photo album, and handed it over. The first photo was of Jane smiling and holding up the rainbow trout, her first catch.</p><p>"So this was your Latin tutor all along," Mom said. She zoomed in on Jane's face with a spread of her fingers. "She's very beautiful."</p><p>Her compliment took me by surprise and made me smile. "Yeah, she sure is..." Then the smile faded when I wished I had the chance to say that to Jane. My heart twisted in my chest at the lost chance.</p><p>Mom swiped to photos from the theme park next, and she chuckled. "I like that." She pointed to the one where Jane had her eyes shut tight on the Boardwalk Bullet.</p><p>"Me too. She wanted me to delete that one."</p><p>Mom actually laughed at the one where Jane struggled to hold the teddy bear. "So that's where you got your giant new pillow."</p><p>I nodded, unable to say anything around the growing lump in my throat. Going through all these photos of her made me tear up. Mom noticed and set aside my phone to draw me into a tight hug.</p><p>"Oh, Seth, honey," she murmured, "I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that."</p><p>I squeezed her back and let the tears fall. "Jane's going to face the worst torture and punishment for saving the Cullens. I’ve got to save her, Mom, or she'll be killed."</p><p>"Where you want to go is dangerous and so far away." She took my hands and squeezed them. "I don't want you to go. I'd be lying if I told you I wouldn't be worried. It's my job as your mom to worry."</p><p>I looked down at the couch. "I figured you'd say that."</p><p>"Still, I know that I won't be able to stop you. Stubbornness runs in our family, after all. You're stubborn just like your dad. You sound like you'd go to the ends of the earth for that girl."</p><p>"I would, and I will. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner."</p><p>Mom gave me the kind of flat-lined smile that tried to hold back pain. "Your dad and I had our share of secrets we'd been keeping from you, too. Secrets of our tribe. We thought that we could protect you and Leah by pretending that they didn't exist. By hoping that the secrets wouldn't touch you and change you." She shook her head. "How wrong we were. Keeping the secret had cost your dad his life."</p><p>I swallowed hard. "I wonder what Dad would say if he was here."</p><p>"Oh, I can just imagine him now...'Son, you go get your girl. Don't forget to use the kung fu I taught you, so you can beat the bad guys.'"</p><p>Mom's gruff impression of him made me laugh. "That sure sounds like Dad, all right."</p><p>Her voice softened as she grew serious again. "Doing the right thing...you got that from your dad. I know I can't stop you when you set your mind to doing what you think is right." She gripped my hands so tightly that I gasped. "So promise me that you'll come back home. Come back so you can introduce your girlfriend to me."</p><p>I nodded solemnly and teared up again, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at what she just said. "I promise, Mom. I swear."</p><p>By now Leah had finished cleaning up after dinner, and when she joined us in the living room, Mom pulled her into a hug, too. "Both of you promise me that you'll protect each other and come home together. I won't accept anything less."</p><p>Leah hugged her back. "You can count on me, Mom."</p><p>Jake must've gotten the same blessing to go from his dad too, because on the next day, he set out with me and Leah to the Cullens' place. From there, we carpooled to the Sea-Tac Airport and took a flight to Anchorage. From there to Denali, where the Cullens' "cousins" lived, we had to hop into cars again.</p><p>Even though it was chilly up in Alaska, Jake, Leah, and I didn't have to pack on more layers to keep warm. We were already blazing hot.</p><p>"How are we gonna know our way around Volterra if Carlisle's not coming?" I asked on the way.</p><p>"That's where Eleazar comes in," Edward replied from behind the wheel. "He used to be part of the Volturi guard. Every castle has its secret halls and passageways, and he still remembers them all. He will be a valuable ally to our counterattack."</p><p>"The whole coven will be," Rosalie said. "They've got a bone to pick with the Volturi, especially with Caius."</p><p>The Denali coven managed to keep a nice, rustic house tucked away in a snowy valley. We didn't have any time to admire the mountain view, though. The coven had been expecting us as they stood outside and watched us climb out of the parked cars. I vaguely remembered their faces, but not their names. I remembered that a former member of theirs, the one who ran to the Volturi crying wolf, had bailed out of Edward and Bella's wedding when she saw me there, too.</p><p>Unlike the Cullens, the Denali coven wasn't used to our wolf smell. They did little to hide their distaste of it as we made introductions. The newest member, Garrett, gave us the warmest reception.</p><p>"Hello there, young wolves," he said with a smile and a hearty shake of our hands. "I'm glad to see that you're going to join the next great revolution!"</p><p>"I wouldn't call it great," Alice said mildly. "I can think of a lot more people who'd be happy to get onboard with us, but if we're going to keep this as a sneak attack, we have to keep the numbers small."</p><p>"So just between your coven and ours," said the one named Carmen.</p><p>"Fair," said Tanya, the Denali coven's leader. "We're never going to keep it sneaky if people like Stefan and Vladimir get wind of our plan."</p><p>Jake snorted. "Dracula One and Two? Yeah, I agree."</p><p>Kate regarded me, Jake, and Leah with curiosity. "What's in it for you three? Where's the rest of the pack?"</p><p>"It's kind of a long story that we'd better talk more about inside," I said.</p><p>It was starting to snow. We all ducked inside the house to escape the growing flurry. Everyone turned to me, prompting me to continue, and I felt like I wanted to wilt in front of the sea of all those golden eyes.</p><p>I cleared my throat. "I...um...a big reason why we're choosing now to attack the Volturi is because we have to save Jane."</p><p>"What?" Tanya snapped. "You're kidding, right?"</p><p>Eleazar and Carmen shared a wide-eyed glance.</p><p>Edward stepped in for me. "He's being serious. A lot has happened since we had last met to protect Renesmee." He recounted the year's past events, and Alice jumped in toward the end to talk about her visions.</p><p>I was really grateful for them, because I had already spent all my emotional energy on telling Mom. I didn't have it in me to repeat myself. By the looks on their faces, the Denali coven was all for getting revenge on the Volturi, but the idea of saving Jane was a hard pill to swallow.</p><p>Kate narrowed her eyes at me. "I don't know if you're aware, but she took part in the execution of two members in our coven: our mother Sasha, and our sister Irina. Three if you count Vasilii, the immortal child our mother had made."</p><p>"I'll never forget how she smiled when she tossed Vasilii into the fire," Tanya said. She looked at me like I had spilled coffee all over their expensive carpet. "I can't believe how you fell for someone like that."</p><p>I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment. I felt like shrinking away from their disbelief and anger. "I know Jane has done terrible things in the past. She wasn't proud of them when she told me. She can't go back in time and undo those things, but she's been trying to move forward and do better. Saving the Cullens from the Volturi was part of that. Now it's our turn to go save her."</p><p>Tanya sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry, kid. I don't think I can get behind saving Jane. If you really feel that strongly about it, that's something you're going to have to do on your own."</p><p>"We'll stand with you on taking down the Volturi, though," Kate said with a resolute light in her eyes. "It's time we knock them off their high horse." She made a show of cracking her knuckles. "It's been a while since I had to use my martial arts training. I can think of a few Volturi goons who deserve a taste of it."</p><p>"You're speaking my language, Kate," Emmett said with a smirk.</p><p>"We need a plan, though," Jasper said. "Eleazar, you're best acquainted with the location and operations of the Volturi. What's the best way to proceed?"</p><p>In response to that, Eleazar ducked into another room and came out a few moments later to spread a blueprint of the Volturi castle on the dining table. We gathered around it, like checking out some written relic covered in glass at a museum.</p><p>"If Alice's visions are correct, then Jane is held here in the prison cells." Eleazar pointed to the second lowest level of the castle. "The rulers will be sitting in their throne rooms, as usual." He pointed next to the circular chamber, the uppermost level. "If they still haven't changed the way they carry out their more theatrical executions, then by the end of the week, Jane will be brought to the great hall, the largest part of the castle. That's where there will be enough room for all members of the Volturi to gather."</p><p>"Theatrical executions?" I didn't like the sound of that. "They're gonna put on a show or something?"</p><p>"Most executions are done in the throne room with no audience," Eleazar replied. "Killing a former high-ranked member like Jane, however, is a big deal. Aro would want to make a grand display of it. He will gather as many of his followers as he can for them to bear witness."</p><p>I set my jaw. "Okay, so we get in there, break out Jane, and take out the Volturi before this execution happens."</p><p>"Actually, I was thinking it'd be best if we attack on that day."</p><p>Jasper's remark made me jerk my head in his direction so abruptly that I felt a neck cramp coming in, but he clarified with seasoned calm, "Every member will be called to the great hall, even the ones who are dispatched around the world to 'take care of business.' Once they're gathered, all their attention will be focused on Jane, who'll be brought up in front of the rulers. There's no better time to take them all by surprise, and take them down, in one fell swoop." He looked up at me. "At the same time, you can come in to save Jane."</p><p>I nodded slowly as his reasoning started to make sense to me. Then I frowned. "But that means Jane's got to be in that cell until then. Are we really going to wait and make her tough it out with that werewolf claw torture?"</p><p>"The element of surprise is crucial to our success," Alice said. "There is no other way to take on such a large and powerful coven." I didn't expect her to rest a hand on my shoulder. "Also, Jane is stronger than you think. I can't see her future past the cell, because where I can't see is where you come in, I think. And as far as I can tell, she'll be in great pain and extremely weak, but she's going to hang on until you come."</p><p>Her words gave me the assuring comfort I needed. I nodded gratefully at her.</p><p>She kept her hand on my shoulder and looked down at the tile floor briefly, as if thinking of something to say. Then she said softly, "A while ago I had a vision of the Renesmee trial, an alternate future of how it could've gone. When Aro refused to back down, a battle broke out." Her far-seeing golden gaze pierced through me. "We won, but took heavy losses on our side. Including you. I saw you die, Seth. Jane was involved in killing you."</p><p>That sent a cold trickle down my spine. That nightmare I had of Jane torturing me in the snow...was that what Alice had seen?</p><p>Then Alice shook her head. "It's amazing how different reality plays out from what could have been. Here you are now, determined to save the girl who could have killed you in another reality." She smiled at me. "I like this path a lot better than the other one."</p><p>"Yeah, me too," I said in earnest.</p><p>"So now you see why we have to avoid confronting the Volturi head-on. Just as they tried to destroy us through deception and stealth, they cannot know we're coming."</p><p>"Okay, I understand."</p><p>I wanted to save Jane as soon as possible, and I hated the thought of having to wait. But I had to trust the Cullens and the Denali coven that they could put together a solid plan. Some of them have lived through wars I had only read about in a history textbook. I had to trust their wisdom and experience.</p><p>They kept huddling over the dining table, discussing ways to infiltrate the castle. As I listened, I focused my eyes on the floor marking the prison cells.</p><p>
  <em>Hang in there, Jane. We're coming for you!</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>Two days with Felix guarding my cell felt like two hundred years. To liven things up during an otherwise boring, uneventful chore, he would come into my cell waving the occasional bleeding body in my face, agitating my thirst.</p><p>At this point, I would lick blood off the floor. If I wasn't held back by shackles, anyway.</p><p>I used to give Felix a taste of my gift if he said anything stupidly out of line. I faintly remembered savoring how a large brute like him would crumple before me. I imagined that he was having the same kind of fun now.</p><p>Well, all good things had to come to an end. His fun didn't last as the final third of my stay in the cell rolled around. As the time came for the changing of the guard, I braced myself for whoever would be the third one. Would it be Demetri again? Or would it be another enforcer like Santiago? Definitely not Corin. Her gift to stir up the feeling of content would completely defeat the purpose of me being here.</p><p>Standing next to the open door of the cell was none other than Alec. He closed the door behind him and hardly made a sound as he stepped up to me.</p><p>"I cut off Felix's sense of smell," he murmured. "He doesn't know that I have this." He produced a cup of blood from the folds of his cloak. He knelt down and set the cup beside him. "I'll remove that claw so you can drink in peace."</p><p>I stiffened. "No, brother. You'll get into big trouble for this."</p><p>"But Aro said that—"</p><p>"Oh, I see. He put you up to it, didn't he?" I coughed out a short, harsh laugh, and blood trailed down the corner of my lip. "Next you'll ask me to break my bond with Seth, then I'll have the claw out and drink from that cup as a reward. Isn't that right?"</p><p>Alec's dark brows tipped toward each other. "Seth. So that's the wolf's name."</p><p>I stared down at my wound, where my blouse had grown filthy from the trail of dried blood. "It won't work. That claw is staying, and you can have that cup of blood for yourself."</p><p>"Don't be daft."</p><p>Alec had never raised his voice with me. Until now, that is. For all the books he enjoyed reading, he acted like a closed book himself, all his feelings shut away from the world. Now I looked up to see mixed anger and horror written all over his face.</p><p>"Why are you doing this, Jane? Has the wolf really corrupted you to the point of no return? Can't you understand that I came here to save you? I hate seeing you like this." Pleading slipped into his voice. "It's not too late. You can still get out of this cell and return to Aro's side. To my side."</p><p>When I didn't reply, he set his jaw and shook his head. "I was right to believe that you shouldn't have gone on that mission from the start. I should have shared my misgivings with Aro. I shouldn't have let you go alone. We've always worked together. That's how it should be. Now you're right here in front of me, yet I feel like we stand oceans apart."</p><p>I squeezed my eyes shut, both from the claw digging into my gut and from how much my brother suffered. "Alec, I don't mean to hurt you, believe me. It's just..." I struggled to find the words. If only I had all the time in the world to explain. "Meeting Seth had changed me in ways that you don't understand. Not yet. And I want more than anything to help you understand."</p><p>"I don't want to understand. I want you to let me pull that claw out."</p><p>"Don't." I strained against my shackles and bared my teeth. "Don't you dare touch me."</p><p>Alec jerked back the hand he had extended, as if narrowly escaping a bite from an angry dog. "Sister, what has gotten into you? I don't recognize you anymore." He held out the cup toward me. "Last chance. Please take it. I'm begging you."</p><p>Mouth-watering temptation hovered within reach, but I mustered enough strength to turn my face away. Coming back to Alec meant coming back to the Volturi. As much as I loved my little brother, I wouldn't take that chance. I would rather die.</p><p>Alec's fingers tightened on the cup and he rose to his feet, looking like my refusal hit him like an arrow through his heart. He turned away and left the cell to begin his watch over me.</p><p>I thought that he would drain the cup. Instead there came a loud clatter from the other end of the hallway, and the splash of spilled blood. Alec's hand went from flinging the cup to striking it against the stone wall.</p><p>I flinched. "I'm so sorry," I whispered.</p><p>Distressing my brother felt worse than any of Felix's taunts. Turning down Alec's saving grace—Aro's, rather—made me continue to waste away and suffer under the unrelenting burn. I felt like burning in an inferno. If I were to burn in the inferno, the one depicted by Dante in <em>The Divine Comedy</em>, I'd be in the seventh circle of hell: the circle of violence. For my long career of inflicting harm on others, I'd be floundering in a river of boiling blood. I felt like I was boiling, all right, but there was no blood. Dante hadn't known about vampires, but perhaps boiling with no blood would make a special, fitting punishment for my kind.</p><p>This was the punishment I deserved before the sweet release of death. But wasn't death supposed to come before hell? I bitterly smiled to myself at the irony.</p><p>Later that day, I had a surprise visitor. Aro glided into my cell, the ends of his dark cloak whispering over the floor.</p><p>"My dear, you've greatly disappointed me yet again. Alec could have saved you, but still you choose all this unnecessary pain and misery."</p><p>The claw had starved and weakened me so much that my senses were slipping even without the influence of Alec's gift. I sagged in the shackles, with my head hanging so that my chin touched my chest. I had barely registered Aro's entrance. His voice, already so soft, was practically imperceptible.</p><p>My utter weakness let him walk right up to me and take my chin into his hand, so that he tipped it up for our eyes to meet. His blurry face came into focus for a moment before my failing sight kicked back in.</p><p>"It has been six days since you've been here," he murmured. "Where is your precious wolf? Were you hoping that he could save you?"</p><p>Even if I wanted to reply, I couldn't muster a word. The burn in my throat felt like it had seared through my vocal chords.</p><p>"A pity he couldn't be here," he went on. "That would actually do me a great service if he were to show up. His bond to you is what led to this whole mess." He leaned in to whisper into my ear. "I would have finished him off myself, just like I had with Didyme, to keep this coven intact."</p><p>A sharp bolt of clarity surged through me. Everything went white for a hot, blinding moment. Didyme, Marcus's mate, Aro's sister...I had never met or known her, because she had died before I joined the Volturi, but Marcus's descent into utter depression after her death was a well-known tragic story. But no one knew who had murdered her.</p><p>Now I knew. Now I understood. Aro had valued Marcus's gift more than the life of his sister, and had gotten rid of her to keep Marcus—his gift, rather—within the Volturi. Severed of the bond with his mate, Marcus had fallen prey to the lure of Chelsea and Corin's potent combination that kept our coven together. Marcus may be on a throne, but he was as much of a prisoner as I was now. If Aro could kill off his own sister, certainly he could have killed Seth to keep me and my gift close, like the greedy, power-hungry collector he was.</p><p>Aro had kept this a closely guarded secret for centuries. Perhaps he dared to share it with me now because I was on the verge of death. Perhaps he thought I would take the secret to my grave.</p><p>This secret, if exposed for everyone to learn, would destroy the Volturi. Reeling from the magnitude of the truth didn't show at all on my face. I was so weak that I couldn't react with the slightest twitch of any part of my body. Maybe I would have this secret die with me, after all.</p><p>I didn't notice Aro's departure. My own self felt like it wanted to leave my body, this world. I no longer saw the cell around me, but slipped into a sort of dark tunnel, the kind of tunnel where I couldn't see the end on either side.</p><p>I looked down at myself. I was no longer bound by shackles, nor bleeding from my belly. I still had the clothes I'd been wearing when I was taken to Volterra, though they were clean and not soiled with blood. To my alarm, I glowed with a faint whiteness, like the light of a flickering oil lamp. Even more alarming was that my throat didn't burn with thirst anymore.</p><p>I looked around. "Hello?" I called. "Anyone there?" I didn't know where I had come in, and I hadn't the slightest idea how I would get out.</p><p>I pressed forward in the direction I'd been facing. The tunnel was flooded, so that every step I took resulted in a hollow splash and water lapping at my feet. A star twinkled overhead, piercing through the tunnel of blackness. The more I walked, the more stars that twinkled into view, and soon, so many filled the space above me that it seemed like I looked up at a swath of magical dust.</p><p>The beauty of it took my breath away. When was the last time I had ever stopped whatever I was doing to simply look up and admire the stars?</p><p>"Jane? Jane!"</p><p>I frowned and whirled around at the sound of my name. "Hello?" I called again. "How do you know me? Who are you? Where are you?"</p><p>My name continued to echo in my ears. Like drops of tears, a few of those stars trickled down, breaking away from what I assumed to be the night sky, but somehow felt like it really wasn't.</p><p>As the stars came down to my level, what made me realize for certain was that those stars weren't really stars. No longer distant and high above the "sky," they now looked like people. Two men and a woman. One man I did not recognize, but the woman and other man I knew all too well. Those two were far more than the ones who had just been calling my name. A lifetime ago, they had given it to me.</p><p>"Mother, Father?" I breathed.</p><p>"Jane," they simply said.</p><p>For the first time in over a thousand years, hot tears filled my eyes and ran down my face. "Mother, Father!"</p><p>I sent up great splashes of water as I broke into a run. I let my parents catch me. The warmth of their arms, how tightly they held me, made me break down into heaving sobs. After what felt like an eternity, I forced myself to pull back from their embrace and get a better look at my parents, to make sure it was really them.</p><p>More than a thousand years didn't matter here, wherever this was. They hadn't changed since the day I had last seen either of them. Father still wore his chain mail, his domed Frankish helmet. Mother was in her humble woolen gown. If it weren't for the same strange glow around them as was around me, they looked as if they had never left our little English village.</p><p>I gripped their sleeves, trembling from head to toe and feeling like a child in their arms again. "Mother, Father, it really is you."</p><p>"Yes, Jane," Mother said softly. "We've been wanting to see you for so long."</p><p>"We've waited for years and years," Father said.</p><p>"Your body was a frozen shell that wouldn't let you leave and come to us."</p><p>I looked down at my feet. "About that..."</p><p>Mother tucked a stray strand of my hair behind my ear and cupped my wet cheek. "Oh, darling, that wasn't your fault."</p><p>"But I..." I turned my face away from her and shut my eyes. "Alec and I...we've gone on to do terrible things. We became the monsters the villagers believed in. They were right all along."</p><p>Mother clasped my hand. "You are still our children, and we still love you."</p><p>"Why?" Tears sprang to my eyes again. "How can you still feel that way for me and Alec, after everything we've done?"</p><p>"Because that's what parents do," Father said, and he rested a hand on my shoulder. "You would have understood that if you had Connor for a little while longer."</p><p>Hearing that name made my beating heart squeeze in my chest. "Connor...you know about him too, Father?"</p><p>"Speaking of Connor, he's been waiting to meet you." Mother stepped aside to gesture to the young man I hadn't recognized, who had been standing at a polite distance from us three.</p><p><em>That</em> was Connor?</p><p>I simply stared at him in disbelief. Mother gently urged me forward with a hand on my back. "Go on, darling."</p><p>I stumbled toward the man who was supposed to be my son. I had only ever known him as an infant. It had never occurred to me until now that he went on to grow into a boy, and into a man. He was clad in the same chain mail and armor as my father, tall and handsome, dark-haired and bearded. He had green eyes. My eyes.</p><p>Connor stepped forward to take my hands into his with reverent care. "Hello, Mother."</p><p>I couldn't muster a greeting in return. All I could do was reach up to touch his face, feel his beard and strong jaw against my palm. Then I drew him into the tightest hug I had ever given.</p><p>A fifteen year-old mother reuniting with her son twice her age...what a strange sight we'd make.</p><p>Connor pulled back his arms to rest his hands on my shoulders. I felt his hands trembling. "I'm deeply sorry, Mother, for being a reminder and the cause of so much of your pain."</p><p>I firmly shook my head. "No, Connor, you don't have to apologize. You didn't ask to be made, and I chose to have you born." It broke my heart to hear that he had known the truth of how he came into the world, and at the same time, believed in a lie that I had blamed him for it. "I'm sorry it took you so long to hear that from me."</p><p>He nodded slowly, and he smiled in a way that seemed to lift a great burden from his shoulders. "I have waited for a very long time, and I never thought the day would come, but I can't tell you how happy I am to finally meet you, my true mother."</p><p>"Tell me, what kind of life have you had since I last saw you?"</p><p>We walked down the tunnel hand in hand, with my mother and father walking some ways behind us so that Connor and I could try to make up for lost years.</p><p>The woman who had stolen him from me fled the village, so she'd been spared of the slaughter from that night I burned. She had went on to raise Connor as her own. Somehow he had remembered the night he was taken away, that he had a mother before her. Perhaps he had the same kind of psychic connection as me and Alec to realize that. Whenever Connor had asked his adopted mother about that night, at first she denied it, pretending as if it had never happened. But when he had pressed her for the truth, she told him that I was a wicked little witch, and she had taken him away to save him from damnation and a cursed life.</p><p>At first I felt a surge of anger toward the woman who had tried to be his mother in my place. But at least I should be grateful that she had looked after him like her own son. A less kinder woman could have tossed him into the fire with me.</p><p>Connor had a much better relationship with the man he had called Father. That man had taught him to be kind and just, and to become a soldier, so that Connor in his adulthood was more often away than at home to fight off the Viking invaders. He had taken part in great battles that saved many villages from being sacked and pillaged. One day he had taken down a shipload of Vikings with him, but not before leaving behind a wife and three children.</p><p>"I don't regret living and dying as a soldier," he told me. "Fighting to defend those who can't defend themselves is a good life indeed. Thank you, Mother, for giving me that life."</p><p>Hearing that gave me the long-delayed honor of being a proud parent. "You lived and died a hero. I am blessed to have a son like you." Then I looked down at my feet, at the water lapping around them. "As for me, I've done many things that are far from heroic. I'm sorry that I can't be the mother you can be proud of."</p><p>Connor laid a hand on my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me.</p><p>Suddenly I heard my name again, somewhere in the distance. I turned to look over my shoulder, but it wasn't my parents who were calling me. They too turned in confusion, wondering who else here would know my name.</p><p>Unlike my parents, whoever it was sounded more distant, more pleading than joyful out of recognition. The plea seemed to penetrate through the darkness from somewhere beyond. I strained to hear who it might be, then I knew.</p><p>"Seth?" I breathed. How could that be? Wasn't he half a world away? How could he reach me here?</p><p>"It seems that someone's not willing to let you go yet," my father said. "Someone who cares for you very much."</p><p>A lump formed in my throat. "Yes...yes, he does..."</p><p>Another pleading voice joined Seth's, and this time it took me no effort at all to recognize it.</p><p>"Alec," I cried.</p><p>The two people I cared about the most in the world, crying out together for me...I had to know why. I had to reach back to them. But that meant...</p><p>"I can't stay here," I told my long departed family. "I'm sorry, but I have to go back."</p><p>Mother wrapped her arms around me, gentle and understanding. "Go to them, Jane. They need you more than we do."</p><p>Father briefly rested a hand on my cheek. "We won't be going anywhere. We've waited to see you for centuries. We can still wait for centuries more."</p><p>They stepped away from me so that Connor could embrace me next. "Good-bye, Mother," he murmured into my ear. "Until we meet again."</p><p>That made me smile and grip him tighter for a moment before we pulled back from each other. I already had my second chance at life and didn't make good use of it. I would not do the same for the third one. "I'll become the mother you can be proud of," I swore to my son.</p><p>I took a few steps down the opposite way, toward Seth and Alec's voices, and looked over my shoulder. I could barely see my family through my tears.</p><p>"I'll come back someday," I promised.</p><p>With their smiles and nods of confidence, I set my sights ahead and took off running into the dark. The stars overhead, the spirits of the departed, blinked out of sight.</p><p>The tears stopped flowing. My breaths no longer tore at my lungs. My heart stopped beating. My legs surged with renewed strength that lent me speed beyond human. Then I felt a sharp, tearing pain at my belly. It almost jerked me to a stop, but immediately following that pain was a relieving release, like the moment after pus has been drained from a wound.</p><p>I had never bitten on my tongue while I ran, but somehow, the most delicious tang of blood seeped into my mouth. I thought I was returning to the land of the living.</p><p>So why was I getting a taste of heaven?</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>I'd been warned so many times of the danger my blood put me in. I was told to stay away from the one who lusted after the taste of my blood.</p><p>Now I kicked those warnings and words of caution to the curb. Every move I made to tear Jane away from the terrible stuff that'd been torturing her—the shackles, the werewolf claw—defied my instinct to run far away from her. As I held her limp body in my arms, the wolf in me was howling to drop her as if she had already died.</p><p>No, I snarled back, she's not dead yet, and I can save her. Only my blood could make that possible.</p><p>I had crumpled the shackles under my bare fists, and I ran my thumb along one of the sharp edges to make a small cut. It hurt, but nowhere as much as it had for poor Jane. A pearl of blood welled from the nick.</p><p>I looked up at Leah and Alec, who knelt in the cell with me. Leah looked reluctant. Alec looked desperate. Still, both of them nodded. I smeared blood from my thumb along Jane's cold lips. I pressed in a bit more to run my thumb along her front teeth.</p><p>Her closed eyes—so dark and bruised, as if someone had beaten her black and blue—twitched and squeezed shut even tighter. The tip of her tongue darted out to lick her lips, and the smallest groan was trapped in her throat.</p><p>She breathed in shallowly through her nose. Her lids fluttered open to reveal twin black holes that made my heart squeeze in my chest.</p><p>I cupped her pale cheek into my palm. "Hey, Jane, it's me," I murmured.</p><p>"Seth?" My name came out as a strangled croak. "What are you doing here?"</p><p>"I came to save you, of course."</p><p>She could barely shake her head against the crook of my arm and shoulder. "No...no, you shouldn't have come." As she shook her head, she caught sight of Alec kneeling over from her other side. Her thirst-darkened eyes went wide. "Brother? What are you doing with Seth? What's going on?"</p><p>I smiled down at her. "He's on our side now. Isn't that great?"</p><p>Everything had happened so fast that I still had to process it. Never mind trying to explain it all to Jane right now.</p><p>Since joining the Denali coven, Garrett had been owning a private jet and would fly it around to quench his thirst for adventure. Most recently we used it to fly over here. No thanks to the pandemic, Americans couldn't fly to Italy on commercial airlines for non-essential travel, but no problem. We just hopped on Garrett's jet. Straight shot to Volterra, no questions asked.</p><p>We had touched down on the farm land surrounding the castle, and there was no time to admire the postcard Mediterranean landscape. Eleazar had led the infiltration, followed closely by Bella so she could shield everyone. We had slipped into a secret passageway through the canals, which snaked up into the prison cells.</p><p>Only one guard had occupied the gloomy hallway. A teenage guy around my age, with cropped dark brown hair and a serious look on his face way beyond his years. That had to be Alec.</p><p>As soon as he had met eyes with our group in the hallway, our bodies tensed for the confrontation to come. His dark red gaze zeroed in on me.</p><p>"You're the wolf," he had said quietly. "You're Seth."</p><p>"Y-yeah," I had said. "You must be Jane's brother."</p><p>"And you must be here to save her."</p><p>I had angled down my body and spread my legs into a crouch, ready to unleash the wolf inside me. "I don't want to fight you, Alec, but if you're going to get in the way between me and Jane, I'll have to."</p><p>He hadn't bared his teeth at us and lunged for an attack. Instead he had said, "There will be no need for that." He had turned away from us to twist a key into the lock of the cell. He had swung open the door and raised a hand toward it in an inviting gesture.</p><p>His response had shocked us all. We had exchanged wide-eyed glances. Edward had turned Alec's thoughts into words for all of us to hear.</p><p>"You would choose saving Jane over serving the Volturi."</p><p>Alec had made a solemn nod, his jaw set. Gratitude for his conviction had surged through me. He had studied us thoughtfully. "I assume you must know about the upcoming execution for Jane in the great hall. You chose now to attack the entire Volturi at once."</p><p>Edward had nodded. "Will you help us?"</p><p>"I will do my best," Alec had said.</p><p>He must have had sent plans of his contributions to the mind-reader of the Cullens, because Edward had said, "I hear you," then to turned to us and said, "Seth, go into the cell with Alec to take care of Jane. The rest of us will push forward and take positions throughout the castle to spring an attack. Alec will lend us a hand."</p><p>"I'm staying with Seth," Leah had said immediately.</p><p>"Me too," Jake had chimed in.</p><p>So that was how we had split up. The Cullens and the Denali coven had left the hallway while Jake, Leah, and I had followed Alec into the cell. Alice's vision and Carlisle's story had not prepared me for the horrible sight awaiting us inside.</p><p>Dark, dried starbursts of blood had covered the stone floor. Jane herself had been hanging from the shackles, limp and unmoving like a dead body, pale as a ghost and wasted away from starvation.</p><p>Jake had sworn under his breath.</p><p>"How awful," Leah had said in a low voice.</p><p>I couldn't bring myself to say anything. Instead I had rushed over to Jane, glaring through hot tears. I had wrapped an arm around her waist with care, and with the other hand ripped off the shackles one by one. Finally I had scrabbled for the hilt of the claw sticking out of her stomach, and wrenched it out. It had clattered to the other side of the cell.</p><p>I had lowered Jane into the cradle I formed in my arms, while Alec had come around to kneel across from me and clasp one of her hands. I had brushed her hair away from her face. I had wished that I brought her black ribbon with me, so I could have tied back her hair for her. Alec and I had called her name several times, pleading her to wake up, but she didn't stir. Alec had closed his eyes and held her hand close to his chest. I could tell that he and Jane shared a close connection beyond normal siblings, like some kind of psychic bond. It had looked like he was feeling for her presence.</p><p>"She is alive," Alec had finally said, "but very weak." He had looked down at her still, expressionless face as if the pain she had endured was passed on to him. "She is between worlds...between the living and the dead."</p><p>"What can we do to bring her back?" I had asked.</p><p>"She needs blood."</p><p>It had to be mine. Technically Jake or Leah could have offered theirs, but mine sang to Jane. She would regain the most strength through me. A few drops of my blood were enough to bring her back to us. But it wasn't really enough. She couldn't even get up on her feet yet.</p><p>"You have to drink more," I told her.</p><p>"No, I can't," she rasped. "You're supposed to stay away from me." She pushed a hand against my chest, putting up a feeble protest with that small, white hand, and my heart went out to her.</p><p>I dwarfed her hand in my own and squeezed it. "You need more of my blood, Jane," I insisted. "I didn't come here just to see you keep looking like this."</p><p>Her black, bruised eyes tried to search my face. "You...you really came all this way, all the way from your home to Volterra...just for me?"</p><p>My voice dipped to a whisper. "Well, yeah."</p><p>Her face crumpled as she drew in her lips to a thin line, looking like she wanted to cry if she could. "You shouldn't have..."</p><p>"No, no more of that 'I don't deserve you' crap. I came all this way because I care about you, and you're going to drink my blood because I want to save you. No ifs, ands, or buts."</p><p>"No use arguing with him, little vampire," Leah said ruefully. "Stubbornness runs in our family."</p><p>Jane's pale face pinched inward again. "I don't want to hurt you, Seth. What if I lose control?"</p><p>"You won't. You care about me too much to do that." My belief in her love for me overcame my wolf's instincts to fear for my life. I pulled back the collar of my sweater vest to expose more of my neck. I propped her up so that she sat almost upright. I cupped her cheek to tilt her face toward the crook of my neck. "It'll be okay," I murmured. "No shame in feeding on my blood. You really need it."</p><p>"Jake and I can jump in to stop you if we think you're going too far," Leah said to Jane.</p><p>Jake nodded in silent agreement.</p><p>Alec continued to hold her other hand. "Take his blood, sister. He will give you the strength you need."</p><p>At everyone's urging, the resistance seemed to drain out of Jane. She raised her mouth to the side of my neck and bit down just enough to break skin, but not tear out a chunk of my throat. It kind of felt like a shot—a burning sting for a moment, then just the coolness of her lips on my skin. I could feel the slow, gentle tug of her mouth, her grip at the front of my vest, how she took great care not to chug down my blood in big, greedy gulps. Her show of restraint touched me. I rubbed Jane's back to both encourage and soothe her.</p><p>"You're okay, you're okay," I kept whispering into her ear.</p><p>I could sense Jake and Leah's wariness, as they stood vigil over me like a pair of watch dogs, but they never had to jump in, after all. A minute passed. Jane pulled her mouth away from my neck and settled her head back into the crook of my arm and shoulder.</p><p>"How are you feeling?" I asked.</p><p>"Much better." Eyes of amber gratitude peered up at me. "Thank you, Seth. You saved my life."</p><p>"I guess that makes us even." I drew her into a tight hug for a moment, and this time she had the strength to return it as I felt her arms around my back.</p><p>"How about you, Seth?" Leah pressed. "Feeling woozy or anything like that?"</p><p>I let go of Jane and smiled up at my sister. "Don't worry, I'm fine."</p><p>Alec looked between me and Jane. "Incredible. You two really do care for each other."</p><p>She freed her hand from his to rest it on his shoulder. "This is what I wanted you to understand. There's so much I have to tell you."</p><p>He shook his head. "I'm sorry, sister, but there's no time. The Cullens and their friends are poised to attack the Volturi as we speak. They will attack during your execution."</p><p>"You're really going to help us take down the Volturi?" I asked him.</p><p>He held my gaze, and again I felt the hefty weight of his conviction.</p><p>"I would like nothing more," he replied.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Alec</strong>
</p><p>With an institution built on the foundations of power, you were deemed worthless if you couldn't contribute to the architecture.</p><p>For centuries, my sister and I had lived under an illusion much greater than those from our own gifts: the illusion of being valued. Without our power, and without our loyalty, we were nothing in the eyes of the Volturi. We could be disposable.</p><p>I lost my allegiance to the Volturi as I had to witness my sister being stripped of her gift and tossed out like trash. Still, I had sought to make Jane renew her allegiance—not so much to rejoin a corrupt and abusive coven, but to let her stand by my side once again. My way to save her wasn't perfect, but I'd much rather save her that way than let her be punished and killed. I had sworn to protect her. I couldn't call myself her brother if I failed to do that.</p><p>When Jane had rejected my offer of blood, I felt betrayed. When she had accepted the wolf's offer, I loved her enough to rise above that sting of betrayal. Freedom from the terrible agony of the Volturi's worst torture was all I had wanted for her.</p><p>What I wanted next was to make the Volturi pay for what they did to my sister. Subjecting her to a pain even worse than burning at the stake was a crime past forgiveness. Having the wolf named Seth, his pack, and the two covens here in Volterra felt like they had answered my call for vengeance.</p><p>I would be their most valuable ally to help them orchestrate the Volturi's downfall.</p><p>Along with Seth, I helped Jane get to her feet as she looped an arm around each of our shoulders.</p><p>"Edward said that you would lend us a hand," Seth said to me. "What did he mean by that?"</p><p>"I know this castle even better than Eleazar," I replied. "I could find my way around it with my eyes closed, if I wanted. There is also my gift of sensory deprivation."</p><p>Seth furrowed his brow. "So Jane could make someone feel like they're in pain—used to, anyway—while you could make someone feel nothing."</p><p>"Yes. Our gifts work like yin and yang: opposites and complements of each other that, when put together, they're truly a force to be reckoned with. We've decimated entire armies this way for hundreds of years."</p><p>"But Caius has my power now," Jane said with distaste. "I am utterly useless without it."</p><p>"No, you're not," I assured her. "You will still be of great use to the attack."</p><p>"How? Enlighten me, brother."</p><p>"I am the last guard assigned to your cell, and later today, I am responsible for escorting you to the great hall. In order not to arouse suspicion, I will take you there under the pretense that you had never been freed and fed."</p><p>Seth bristled. "So slap the shackles back on her and stick the claw back in her gut? No way in hell."</p><p>"Calm down," I said. "We'll do no such thing." I made a sweeping gaze over Jane. "There's enough dried blood on your shirt to make it seem like you still have the claw in your stomach. You will keep your eyes closed, so no one will know that you had recently fed. Your presence in the great hall will draw the attention of every vampire present. That will lower their guard toward their surroundings."</p><p>My sister nodded in understanding, now more accepting of her role in this.</p><p>"Okay, but what are we gonna do about the wolf 'stink' all over her?" the other shapeshifting boy asked. "The Volturi would get a good whiff of that for sure, and know that something's up."</p><p>"I am able to cut off any or all the senses from as many targets as I wish," I replied. "Every attendant of the execution will have their sense of smell cut off—not just from the wolf scent, but from the scent of everyone involved in the attack. They won't smell us coming."</p><p>"You can do all of that?" The female shapeshifter regarded me with a mix of fear and awe. "That's some power."</p><p>"We are extremely fortunate to have Alec on our side," Jane said. "He has long been the Volturi's strongest weapon in combat. Even stronger than me."</p><p>"My gift is not without its limits. It needs time to work. It's like a mist that creeps and takes a gradual hold on anyone affected. I am releasing it now as we speak."</p><p>Seth looked up and down at me. "I don't see anything."</p><p>"I would hope so." I held up what looked like my bare hand. "I'm releasing it in such fine tendrils from my fingers that they are nearly invisible to even the vampire eye. They are making their way to the great hall even now, as the Volturi assemble for the execution."</p><p>My gift acted as an extension of myself, so it was like feeling around with my eyes closed as the mist probed its unseen fingers along the castle and around its occupants. This let me get a rough idea of how the attacking covens wanted to spread out and take positions.</p><p>I had to explain to the shapeshifters: "The great hall of this castle is unlike other great halls for having no windows, but there are three entrances one could take to get inside, all double doors. There are two entrances connected to the left and right wing of the castle, and there is one leading from the antechamber. I will be taking Jane through the entrance from the antechamber, and leading her past the assembly gathered on either side of the hall."</p><p>"Like a bride walking down the aisle," Seth said, in an attempt to visualize the layout.</p><p>I inclined my head. "Something like that. Once all the Volturi are assembled inside, the attackers will split into groups of three and wait behind each of the double doors, lying in wait to strike."</p><p>"Where are they now?" the shapeshifter boy asked.</p><p>"In hiding, in the secret passageways. The Volturi are still gathering as we speak. The attackers will not come out of hiding to tail them until the castle is clear."</p><p>The female shapeshifter crossed her arms over her chest. "When they're behind the double doors, how will they know to attack?"</p><p>"I will give the signal through my thoughts," I replied. "The mind-reader of the Cullens will pick up on that signal. By the time everyone storms in all at once, from all three sides, my gift will numb the assembly's senses enough to render them nearly helpless, too slow to react and put up a fight. It will be over in a matter of seconds."</p><p>Seth gave me wide-eyed disbelief. "You had all this already planned out and sent to Edward?"</p><p>"My brother is quite the strategist," Jane said. "The more calculating of us two." Through the link bridging our minds, she sent me an unspoken quip: <em>You've always beaten me in chess. I could never win against you.</em></p><p>I had to smirk at that. The trio of shapeshifters couldn't hide their impressed reaction towards me.</p><p>"But what about us wolves?" Seth asked. "What should we do?"</p><p>"Some of the guard will meet up with me here when Jane is to be dragged out. We'll form a little procession to the great hall. You three will have to stay out of sight and earshot, and follow my trail from a safe distance." Then I warned them: "I will have the guards' sense of smell cut off, but they will still be able to see and hear. Tread carefully."</p><p>Seth nodded. "Got it. I have the best hearing in our pack. I'll be able to tell when it's safe to move out and follow your trail, Alec."</p><p>"Since there are three entrances, each of us can take one and back up the covens," said the other shapeshifter boy.</p><p>The female shapeshifter made a grim show of cracking her knuckles. "So it's settled. That's how we'll take down the Volturi."</p><p>I nodded. "My masters would never expect to be brought down by a pack of wolves and members of their own guard." Jane and I silently shared amusement at the irony.</p><p>"Jake, Leah, let's phase now before the guards come down for Alec and Jane," Seth said to his fellow pack members. "We'll draw too much attention if we do it later."</p><p>"Good idea," said the one named Jake, and he shot an amused glance at me. "You, uh, wouldn't mind picking up after our mess, would you?"</p><p>"We gotta lose the clothes when we wolf out," Seth said sheepishly.</p><p>No wonder those three were dressed in the bare minimum, despite the frigid air inside the castle. I shrugged. "I don't mind. I am more than happy to work alongside you to make the Volturi fall apart."</p><p>The three wolves filed out of the cell into the larger hallway, so they had enough space to shift into their four-legged forms. I couldn't help wrinkling my nose at the ensuing thick wave of wolf stink, but beside me, Jane looked unfazed.</p><p>"I've been around them long enough to get used to it," she told me.</p><p>I looked down at her in disbelief. "You'll have to show me how sometime."</p><p>She cracked a one-sided grin. "You won't like it at all, brother."</p><p>We quickly resumed all seriousness as I ushered the wolves into nearby cells to hide, and I picked up after the scraps of their ruined clothes. I hid them inside the volumes of my cloak and the many pockets of my suit. Being well-dressed had its purpose, after all.</p><p>There came the distant echo of footsteps descending from the stairwell. The three wolves fell deathly silent. Jane and I met eyes, our exchange only heard within our own shared minds.</p><p><em>It's time</em>, I told her.</p><p>She nodded. <em>We're all depending on you, brother. Good luck.</em></p><p>I rested a hand between her shoulders, as a brief gesture of reassuring comfort, before I tightened it to a fist to look like I was dragging her out of the cell. Jane closed her eyes and went limp under my grip.</p><p>Santiago, Afton, Ilya, and Tiago waited for me at the end of the hallway. I was relieved that they didn't take any step farther, otherwise they'd see the ruined shackles or the wolves crouched in hiding. I schooled my features into practiced stoicism as I approached them with Jane in tow.</p><p>"Would you like any of us to get her off your hands?" Ilya asked. "It looks like the two days down here did a number on you."</p><p>"I'll handle her myself." I ran my cold, steady gaze among the guard, and that had the intended effect as no one challenged my authority.</p><p>Afton gestured up the stairwell. "Well, shall we?"</p><p>The guard flanked me, two on each side, as I climbed up the stairs with them.</p><p>Jane's arms hung loose, dangling in the air as if she really had no control of them. The tips of her fingers hovered several inches above the ground. Her knees and shins dragged on the floor with every step I took. I had to strike a balance between looking convincing and not treating my sister too roughly.</p><p><em>I'll be all right</em>, she assured me in our own quiet, secret way.<em> I trust you, brother.</em></p><p>I was touched by her faith in me, though I didn't let this show on my face. None of the guard took any notice of the wolf musk, which brewed in my pockets and coated Jane from Seth enveloping her in his arms. My gift was working.</p><p>I couldn't hear the wolves padding after me, but that meant they were heeding my advice. Once the guard and I reached the antechamber, and entered through the doors to the great hall, we proceeded with ceremonial deliberation.</p><p>My steps echoed on the marble floor. Both sides of the hall were packed to almost full capacity with black-robed attendants. The human physician was not among these ranks, as he had hoped. Caius had been so enraged over the failure of Jane's mission that he had made a meal of the physician. A sea of red eyes turned to face me and Jane. I kept my own eyes ahead, toward the three rulers who stood at the other end of the hall. Aro looked solemn. Caius looked gleeful. Marcus looked apathetic, as always. From the left and right wing entrances, Felix and Demetri had taken their positions as the executioners.</p><p>None of them knew that my free hand, slack at my side, was exercising my power to its fullest potential. None of them were aware of the tiny snakes of mist up their noses. Had I been any less meticulous and coordinated, they'd be in an uproar over the wolf stink on me and Jane, and over the scent of assailants waiting behind the doors.</p><p>Everything was proceeding as I had planned.</p><p>Aro took a few steps forward, and I stopped just before him. He steepled his hands and lifted his filmy red gaze to the Volturi assembled.</p><p>"Dear friends, dear colleagues, we are gathered this evening to witness a pivotal chapter in our history. And a rather sad chapter, at that, for it grieves me to oversee the end of who was once among our most loyal and most powerful."</p><p>Empty words. Aro felt no true attachment towards Jane. He was doing this to teach our kind the consequences of defying the Volturi. Not even my sister could escape those consequences. This lesson would be seared into the unbeating hearts of all vampires and remembered for centuries to come.</p><p>But I wouldn't let Aro teach that lesson. Beneath my expressionless gaze on him was a simmering desire for revenge.</p><p>Aro's eyes now flickered down to my sister, who continued to hang limply from my grip. "Jane, my dear, I hate to bring about your end, but it must be done. Rest assured, we will not forget the mark you've left on our world, and the wonders of your gift will live on."</p><p>A wicked grin spread across Caius's face at that.</p><p>"Without further ado, it's time to say good-bye." Aro gestured for Felix and Demetri to step up.</p><p>I had seen countless executions, and had cared for none of the lives lost from them. This was different. With my sister, I would not stand by in silence. Just before Felix and Demetri could reach out to grab each of Jane's arms, I raised the voice in my mind to a resounding shout.</p><p>
  <em>Attack!</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>Thus began the first botched execution in all of Volturi history.</p><p>At Alec's signal to attack, I dropped the near-dead act. First thing I saw when my eyes flew open was shock stamped all over Aro's face. Alec and I surged forward as a seamless unit to slam our palms against his chest.</p><p>Aro had no time to block or retaliate. Our unified blow sent him flying into the marble wall, but not enough to leave a dent in it. Alec and I lacked the training and strength to hold him down, but that was where Edward and Bella came in.</p><p>Like two arrows loosed from a bow, they streaked from the antechamber entrance, past us, to pin Aro to the wall.</p><p>Felix and Demetri could have easily torn me and Alec apart, but our fellow revolutionaries burst through the double doors just in time. Emmett and Seth lunged forward to bring down Felix, while Jasper and Leah sprang in from the other side to claim Demetri.</p><p>I made sure that Felix and Demetri caught my look of savage satisfaction before wolf fangs tore into them.</p><p>The Denali coven pounced past the vampire-wolf tag teams with equal startling swiftness. Eleazar and the other three members split up to grab Marcus and Caius. Neither was fast enough to evade the ambush.</p><p>Jacob leapt in from the antechamber entrance, flanked by Alice and Rosalie who bore torches. Emmett, Seth, Jasper, and Leah joined them as they turned their attention from the torn remains of Felix and Demetri to the rest of the guard.</p><p>Once in our comrades' clutches, the triumvirate were not dismembered immediately. Instead they were forced to behold the incredible, one-sided slaughter of their guard. The great hall transformed from a site of ceremony to a battleground filled with flames and screams. The three wolves unleashed a whirlwind of carnage that sent arms, legs, and black robes flying everywhere. Tiago, the one who had knocked me unconscious, was able to elude Seth in Forks, but no longer. He went down with a scream and a flail of his half severed arms.</p><p>Seth raised his head from Tiago's remains, and Leah stepped away from the mauled Chelsea, to turn their attention to Sulpicia and Athenodora, who huddled at the corner of the great hall. Unlike the others, the wives of Aro and Caius didn't put up a fight, but bore a conflicting mix of terror and resignation on their faces. I sprang forward to stand in the wolves' way.</p><p>I shook my head at them, and they took a pawstep back in surprise. "These two don't deserve retribution," I said. "They may be mates of the rulers, but they've been more prisoners than equals to their husbands." Sympathy for the two women welled up inside me. "A week in that prison cell was hell enough for me, but imagine spending a millennia of being locked up in towers, because your husbands said so, and you've been tricked into thinking you're happy there. That's the kind of life Sulpicia and Athenodora had. And now..." I turned to the wives, who still had their backs pressed to the wall. "Chelsea's influence is gone, so what's on your mind now?"</p><p>The freedom to speak and act on their own accord was long overdue. Sulpicia and Athenodora stared back in a blank daze for a moment, as if unaccustomed to the freedom they'd been given. Their eyes, even filmier than their husbands' from centuries of stagnant, sheltered lives, flickered over to Aro and Caius.</p><p>"We loved them once..." Athenodora murmured.</p><p>"But no more," Sulpicia said, her voice wavering.</p><p>"Not after what they've done to us for so long."</p><p>"Their fates are in your hands now. Do what you want with them."</p><p>The more they spoke, the more they seemed to grow in stature and confidence in themselves, in their conviction. They no longer regarded Seth and Leah with fear, and they shifted a little away from the wall they'd been clinging to. I met the wolves' eyes, sharing the unspoken understanding of seeing no threat here. They bounded away to tear apart the other guards.</p><p>"Thank you," Sulpicia said to me.</p><p>I nodded. It was the least I could do for them.</p><p>Not too far from us, Jasper was about to behead a guard when Alec commanded him to stop.</p><p>Jasper's golden eyes flashed with confusion and accusation. "I thought you were on our side—"</p><p>"I am," Alec cut in. "But before you finish him off, I need to do this."</p><p>He strode over, and Jasper darted an inquiring glance at Edward.</p><p>Still keeping a firm grip on Aro, Edward said, "It's fine, Jasper. Let Alec do what he needs to do."</p><p>Everything else in the battleground faded into fuzzy peripheral noise as I focused on Alec. When I did that, I realized his intention.</p><p>"Brother, are you sure—"</p><p>"I'll be all right, Jane." His calm, sure reply took all the protest out of me.</p><p>He turned back to the guard being held in place by Jasper. "Ilya, this will be the last gift you will ever take. I don't want it anymore."</p><p>The gift-stealing guard struggled in futility under Jasper's clutches, and Alec grabbed both of his hands to channel his potent mist—not to numb Ilya's senses, but to force upon a gift against his will. Then Alec said, "Finish him," and Jasper wrenched Ilya's head from his neck.</p><p>By the time Alec returned to my side, rendered powerless as I was, the entire Volturi guard had been laid to waste. Acrid smoke from the bonfires filled the air and stung my nose. I peered through the smoke for Seth, and to my relief, I spotted the outline of his sand-colored fur. He stood among the strewn limbs and chunks of torsos unscathed. His packmates also showed no signs of visible injury, and merely shook their coats to free them of tattered pieces from Volturi cloaks.</p><p>With the guard eliminated, we turned all of our attention to the remaining rulers. Marcus was the only one to look on in unmoved resignation, while Aro and Caius had witnessed the battle with helpless, wide-eyed horror.</p><p>"You cannot do this," Caius cried. "You destroy the Volturi, you destroy the order of our world—"</p><p>"Shut up," one of the women holding him hissed. Electricity surged from her hands and into Caius's bound ones, bringing him into pained submission.</p><p>Caius's red glare flitted among us gathered before him, but my stolen gift was useless under Bella's shield. The frustration and despair on his face was priceless. That was all we needed to see from him. No objections were raised to let a sadistic madman like him live any further. Not even Athenodora spoke up.</p><p>The other woman with Caius had him by the top of his head and his chin. "This is for Irina," she said through gritted teeth. She dug her fingers into Caius's mouth and jerked her hands in opposite directions, splitting open his face by the seams of his jaws. His body erupted into flames from Rosalie's torch.</p><p>Alec reached out to hold my hand. I squeezed it in response. With the deaths of Ilya and Caius, our gifts were gone from the world forever. No one would have to face the horror of our trauma and darkest desires ever again.</p><p>We turned next to the remaining two. Though Aro was pinned to the wall by Edward and Bella, despite the carnage before him, he managed a serene smile.</p><p>"Well, my friends, it looks like you have won. Who would have the honor of killing me?" His look of inquiry floated among us, and when it settled on me and Alec, he said, "Surely not you, my dear children. You may have aided in this insurrection, but I don't think you have it in your hearts to kill the one who had saved you and made you."</p><p>He was right. Even now, even after all those years of being used as a tool, I couldn't bring myself to land the finishing blow on him. In a way, I had Aro to thank for getting me to where I was now, where I could share the same stitch of time and space with Seth, with Alec, in this great fabric of the universe. I still couldn't help feeling like I owed him at least a kernel of my gratitude for that. Out of the corner of my eye, my brother held the same sentiment.</p><p>Aro's smile at me seemed like a taunt for my show of hesitation, but I said firmly, "It's not my life to take." I gestured to Marcus. "It's his."</p><p>"I beg your pardon?"</p><p>Confusion from Aro rippled out to everyone around me. Everyone except for Alec, who understood where I was getting at, and his eyes widened at the revelation.</p><p>I didn't elaborate directly to Aro. Instead I turned to Marcus. "You have a right to know. I need to tell you about Didyme."</p><p>At the mention of her name, the clouds of apathy cleared from his eyes, as if the sun had finally peeked through a perpetually overcast sky.</p><p>"You've mourned her death longer than Alec and I have been alive, and for just as long you've wondered who had murdered her." I gestured to Aro. "Look no further. Her killer was ruling beside you all this time."</p><p>Marcus made no resistance against the pair of Denali vampires who held him, but he straightened from his slouch, looking taller and more imposing than ever before. He slid brightened red eyes over to Aro. "Is this true?" he asked hoarsely.</p><p>"Dear Marcus, I have treated you like a brother—"</p><p>"Is. This. True?"</p><p>Every syllable he punctuated pierced the air. A grave silence hung along with the smoke from the fires. Shock surged through everyone like a summer thunderstorm.</p><p>"Jane is telling the truth," Edward murmured in awe. "So are Aro's thoughts."</p><p>No panic or anger flitted across Aro's face, though his voice lost its usual feathery warmth. "I did what was necessary for the greater good, Marcus. Keeping you within the coven was crucial to its wellbeing."</p><p>"Spare me your excuses. You speak of wellbeing when you mean power. Everything you've done for the Volturi was to keep you in power." Marcus's voice took on a sharpness borne from centuries of long-delayed rage and vengeance. "If you had cared at all about Didyme, your own sister, or our happiness, you wouldn't have murdered her behind my back. Did you come at her from behind, too? Did she ever get to see the face of her murderer?"</p><p>Alec and I regarded Marcus with awe and fear we had never given him before.</p><p>Aro didn't reply, and Marcus made a long, slow shake of his head.</p><p>"Never mind. It does not matter." Nothing Aro would say will heal a heart that has been dead and broken for centuries. Marcus looked between Eleazar and his mate, who still held on to him. "Unhand me. Give me the chance I should have taken a long time ago."</p><p>A current of uncertainty ran between the pair's golden eyes.</p><p>"Eleazar, Carmen, let him go," Edward said. "He won't hurt us. All he wants is Aro."</p><p>At his reassurance, Marcus was released. True to his word, he seemed to ignore us entirely so he could channel the entire blazing sun of his wrath upon Aro. So consumed he was in hatred, and in the desire to rain down a thousand deaths, that Aro shrank away from the face of it.</p><p>Edward and Bella tightened their hold on his collar as he struggled against them. All of us looked on grimly as Marcus did not grant Aro the mercy of a quick death. He started with tearing off the legs. Edward and Bella released Aro to let him slide down the wall. Aro made a pitiful scrabble along the marble floor. He crawled towards Sulpicia, who took a step back and averted her gaze from his pleading eyes. Marcus promptly closed the distance between them and plucked off his arms one by one. Robbed of all limbs, Aro rolled onto his back. A high-pitched, strangled scream—a perversion of his laughter—issued from him as Marcus at last knelt down to clasp his temples. Ruthless fingers dug in to send cracks coursing across Aro's face.</p><p>I wanted to shut my eyes and bury my face into Alec's shoulder, but along with everyone else, I forced myself to watch Marcus pulverize Aro's head into a bloodless, shattered pulp. Alice lowered the torch to set Aro's remains on fire. Marcus heaved a great, long sigh, the sound like an escape of his soul, even though it was Aro who had just lost his life.</p><p>"It is finished," Marcus murmured. He spread and lifted both hands in quiet forfeit. "Take my life now. I don't care who does it. I've long lost my reason to be on this earth."</p><p>I had been unable to muster the courage to kill Aro. Now I felt differently. I stepped up towards the sole remaining ruler of the Volturi. "I will do it."</p><p>"So will I." Alec matched my motion and solemnity.</p><p>It wasn't courage that compelled us, but pity. Marcus had been a victim to Aro's exploits and manipulation as much as Alec and me. Out of everyone here, only my brother and I best understood the unfathomable depth of his suffering. It was only right that the two of us would put him out of his misery.</p><p>No one else intervened or volunteered to replace me and Alec. Marcus lowered himself to his knees so I could grip him by the head and chin. Alec circled behind Marcus to clasp him by the upper arms, just below the shoulders.</p><p>I had one last thing to tell him. "When I was in the prison cells, on the verge of death, I reunited with my long departed family. I got to see my parents and my child."</p><p>"You mean to tell me that I would see Didyme again?" For the first and last time in my life, I heard hope in his voice.</p><p>"I'm certain," I assured him.</p><p>Marcus closed his eyes. "Thank you."</p><p>After the last stab of empathy through my chest, Alec and I killed him with a hard wrench of our hands.</p><p>And with that, the Volturi had fallen.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>It was all over. We really just brought down the most powerful coven in the world.</p><p>No one on our side died, or even suffered serious injuries. We did pretty damn good. It was a miracle. I wanted to sink onto the floor with relief. Leah and Jake raised howls to the roof, while the Cullens and the Denali coven burst into a shower of hugs, laughter, and kisses. Only the female vampires Jane decided to spare remained silent—not mourning, but not celebrating, either.</p><p>The adrenaline rush that had carried me through the battle left my body, and I was hit next with a wall of weak-kneed fatigue. My tail sagged between my legs and my paws ached from all the slashing and tearing.</p><p>Leah sensed my weariness and brushed her muzzle against my neck.</p><p><em>Thanks for having my back</em>, I told her.</p><p><em>I'm your big sister</em>, she replied with a small snort. <em>Don't expect anything less.</em></p><p>Jake puffed up his big chest as he surveyed this dumpster fire of a great hall. <em>Well, this will definitely be the next greatest campfire story back at La Push.</em></p><p><em>For sure</em>, I said.</p><p>While Jake and Leah savored the victory and basked in praises for a job well done from our vampire friends, I looked on ahead to see Jane still standing beside Alec, and beside the fire where the sad ruler burned. They held hands and had their heads slightly tipped toward each other, hair almost touching. The twins seemed to tune out the air of elation stirred up by the other vampires and my pack. They must be glad to be rid of the Volturi, but they also seemed to be mourning that long chapter of their life.</p><p>My first instinct was to pad up to Jane and try to comfort her, but maybe she wouldn't appreciate getting wolf hair all over her, or that I'd butt into whatever private moment she shared with her brother.</p><p>I chose to leave her be for now and get out of my wolf form.</p><p>Amid the piles of dismembered, burning vampire bodies, I salvaged the most intact Volturi cloak I could find and used it to clothe myself when I shifted back into human form. It stank like cheap perfume, but it was better than walking around the castle naked.</p><p>Jake and Leah copied me, and soon we sat around hunched in cloaks we had stolen, looking like the most ridiculous bootleg vamps. That made us snicker at each other. I don't know, something about the miracle of living through a fight with the biggest, baddest vampires in the world made us giddy like little kids.</p><p>We never would have made it this far without Jane's brother. We owed him a huge amount of thanks.</p><p>Jake and Leah jumped to their feet to help clear the bodies that had smoldered into ashes. I remained sitting, too wiped out to move. The stench of smoke curling up in the air was so strong that I almost couldn't smell Jane gliding up to me. I got up too fast, which made me see little stars and my head spin. I blinked hard and stumbled forward.</p><p>"Are you all right, Seth?" she asked.</p><p>I found my footing and made a shaky laugh. "I was going to ask <em>you</em> that."</p><p>She smiled. "Alec and I are more than all right. We are free."</p><p>At that, I pulled Jane into a big bear hug. My heart sang with happiness for her. This time she didn't push me away. Maybe the vamp-scented cloak helped. Jane seemed to melt in my embrace, and I felt her arms close around my back. I plucked up enough courage to give her a peck on the forehead.</p><p>That made her blink up at me in surprise.</p><p>"I love you," I said.</p><p>She drew in a small, quiet breath, then she said, "I love you, too."</p><p>That simple exchange sounded more beautiful to me than the most flowery poem.</p><p>Someone cleared his throat in front of us. We turned to see Alec with his fist barely over an amused smile.</p><p>Jane and I dropped our arms from each other and my ears went hot. Jane shifted her weight. If she was human, her face would look beet red.</p><p>"Er, sorry—" I began to say.</p><p>"No need," Alec said. "I wanted to properly thank you for saving my sister's life."</p><p>I shook my head. "That was nothing. What you did to help us beat the Volturi was absolutely incredible."</p><p>"What I did would have failed if it wasn't for you."</p><p>"What are you saying?"</p><p>"Think about it. My gift alone wouldn't have been enough to bring down the entire Volturi. You and your allies helped make that possible. I've been talking to the two covens, and from my understanding, it was you who motivated them to come here. You moved them into saving Jane and defeating the coven that had enslaved us." Alec inclined his head. "You have a powerful gift of your own, Seth, and that gift is your big heart."</p><p>His words made me scratch my cheek and look down at my bare feet. "Jane said something like that to me earlier..."</p><p>"If you hadn't believed me before, would you believe the two of us now?" There was a hint of teasing in Jane's voice. Then, with all seriousness, she gestured to the great hall. "Look around you. Wolves, vampires, former members of the Volturi...see how you've united us all? It's a sight of the century. What Alec did to turn the tide of battle in our favor was incredible, certainly, but don't forget how incredible you are as well, Seth."</p><p>Compliments have always made me feel awkward, and to get a shower of it from these two was just too much. "Aww, you guys are making me blush." Then I asked, "So what are you gonna do now?"</p><p>The question was easy for me. I'd head back home with Leah, heading back to our mom who would be thrilled to have us back safe and sound.</p><p>For Jane and Alec, Volterra had been their home for a very long time. Now that it was no longer under control of the Volturi, they had no reason to be here. They could go wherever they wanted. They were no longer bound to fake ties of loyalty and servitude.</p><p>Jane shyly ventured her response: "Do you mind if I go back to Forks with you?"</p><p>"Not at all," I said, thrilled at her answer. I backpedaled a bit. "But go only if you want to. Don't feel like you have to come along if you'd rather be somewhere else."</p><p>She replied without hesitation. "There's no place I would rather be than with you, Seth."</p><p>That made me smile and feel warm everywhere.</p><p>"Wherever Jane goes, I go," Alec said. He put a hand on her shoulder. "We'd been separated before, and because of that, she almost died. I don't want that to happen again."</p><p>Leah would've said the same thing had she been in his shoes. "Totally understandable," I said with a nod. "Maybe you'll have to ask the Cullens if they're okay with it, but I don't mind you coming home with us, Alec. It's a very vampire-friendly area, if you haven't figured it out already."</p><p>Garrett's voice rose above the idle chatter. "Well, I've had my fill of adventure today," he declared. "Who's coming home with me?"</p><p>We raised our voices with him in assent. In this moment, there had never been a more beautiful word than "home."</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Alec</strong>
</p><p>The word "home" didn't resonate with me as much as it did for the covens and the wolf pack. I felt strange, like something stranded or floating in the middle of sea, with nowhere to go and no place to call my own.</p><p>I glanced over at Sulpicia and Athenodora, and I imagined that they could relate. This castle was all they had ever known. Now the door from it had been flung open to us, and we're frozen at the threshold, afraid to take the next step, as if whatever laid outside that threshold would swallow us whole. Still, I was glad not to see the wives among the slaughter. I was not surprised that my sister had intervened to save them. The shared experience of imprisonment had been a powerful influence.</p><p>Bella voiced what must have been on everyone's minds: "What's going to happen to the castle now?"</p><p>Surprisingly enough, after a lengthy pause, Sulpicia spoke up. "I will stay behind to take care of it."</p><p>"So will I." Athenodora remained at her companion's side, her reply just as soft yet also just as firm.</p><p>The tallest and largest of the Cullens frowned at them. "How can we trust you not to start up another kind of coven like the Volturi?"</p><p>"We have no interest or ambitions in ruling over our kind," Sulpicia replied.</p><p>"We wish only mastery of our own lives," Athenodora said. "That is enough for us."</p><p>Sulpicia gestured with a dainty, pale hand to the antiquated grandness of the great hall. "As patrons of the arts, our husbands have accumulated vast amounts of valuable artwork, books, and objects of historical significance. It falls to me and Athenodora to care for them now. We will close this place to the public, and cease all tourist operations, so that we may lead peaceful, quiet lives here."</p><p>"We have no intentions of becoming troublesome upstarts, I can assure you that," Athenodora said.</p><p>They sounded genuine in their plans for the future, and Edward nodded at them. "Carlisle would be very pleased to hear that."</p><p>Sulpicia turned to me and my sister. "You may stay with us, if you'd like. You two have lived here for so long, after all. You don't have to serve us, but live with us as equals."</p><p>"Thank you for the offer, but I am going back with the others," Jane replied. She glanced at Seth, who looked pleased at her reply.</p><p>"Wherever my sister goes, I go," I said. I felt more sure of myself with repeating my decision. For as long as I had been under this marble roof, as fond as I was with the castle library, I had no real attachments to this place. Home was where my sister was, so I would be happy anywhere as long as I had her by my side.</p><p>Sulpicia and Athenodora nodded at us with understanding. "Go, then. You can all rest easy knowing that the Volturi is finished."</p><p>We left the great hall on that reassuring note. The Cullens and their friends from Denali took the lead, abuzz with excitement at their return home and the Volturi's defeat, while Jane and I trailed behind them at a slower pace.</p><p>"Is it true, sister?" I murmured. "What you had told Marcus?"</p><p>"I wouldn't lie just to tell him what he wanted to hear." Her amber eyes flashed over to me. "I really did see them...our mother and father, and even Connor."</p><p>The mention of our long dead parents sent a pang through my chest. "Mother and Father...how are they?" Speaking of them in the present tense felt startling, yet welcoming.</p><p>"They look well. They haven't changed one bit since the day we last saw them."</p><p>"Mother in her gown, and Father in his armor..."</p><p>Jane smiled. "Exactly."</p><p>Even more startling to me was my sister calling her child by name—something she hadn't done in a very long time. "And what about <em>him</em>?"</p><p>Jane almost stopped in her tracks, her voice soft with wonder. "He's a man, Alec. A full grown man. He hadn't died that night we burned, as we thought he had. He grew up."</p><p>My eyes widened. I had a hard time imagining it, since I had only ever seen him before he could even walk and talk.</p><p>Jane stopped in the hallway and stared at the stone floor. "I was happy to see Connor, I really was, but to see him all grown up, to hear that someone else had raised him..." She curled one of her hands into a fist. "I wanted to hear him speak his first words, hold him by the hands for his first walk. I wished I could see him learn to use a sword and shield, and see him off to his last battle before he died." She squeezed her eyes shut and her voice shook. "I wanted to be there for all of that. And I missed all of it."</p><p>I pulled her into a hug, with one of my arms over her trembling shoulders. I couldn't think of anything to say that would comfort her. What could anyone say to soothe the grief of a mother who found out her child had grown up without her, and had been dead for hundreds of years? Maybe there was nothing to say. Perhaps all she wanted was a chance to release that pent-up sadness, and now that the dust of the battle had settled, she had that chance.</p><p>Jane seemed to take comfort in my presence and silent support, at least. She drew in a long, trembling breath and let it out as she pulled away from me. "Well, no more feeling sorry about the past now. It's time to look ahead, to a bright new future ahead of us."</p><p>Several feet away, Seth poked his head from around the corner. "Everything okay back there?"</p><p>Jane straightened her back and quickly composed herself. "Yes, we're coming." She held out a hand to me. "Ready to leave this place for good, brother?"</p><p>My turn to take comfort in her presence, I took her hand and gripped it tightly. "More than ready, if I'm with you."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And that is the end of the Volturi arc/the inferno arc. The Divine Comedy by Dante is divided into three parts: Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Paradise), and this fic is divided thematically that way. The parallel structures between the two are why I felt "Divine Comedy" was an appropriate title for the fic. Jane and Alec are done with the Volturi, so what's next for them is penitence and working towards redemption. In other words, they have made it through hell, and what's next for them is purgatory.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>The last time I had been on a plane, I was on a mission to help the Volturi destroy the Cullens.</p><p>Now I was on another plane, after a battle to help the Cullens destroy the Volturi.</p><p>Fate had certainly taken my life down a strange turn. But it was a turn for the better. Now I was no longer bound to the Volturi by debt and obligation. Gone were my days of being used as a tool and a weapon at someone else's disposal. Now I could be my own person, free to take my own path and make my own choices.</p><p>Leaving Volterra with Seth was the first choice I had ever made for myself, not as an agent for the Volturi. It was a choice I didn't regret in the least.</p><p>Seth, Leah, Jacob, and I were able to change into new clothes when we left the castle and boarded the Denali coven's private jet. Alice had good sense to bring along the suitcase of clothes I had packed back at the Cullen house.</p><p>I was the last to get changed in the cramped bathroom of the jet. It certainly smelled of three wolves that had just been in there. Seth's scent was the most tolerable, of course. I squirmed and twisted like a worm as I tried to slip my ruined, blood-stained blouse over my head, without ramming my elbows into the bathroom walls and compartments.</p><p>Lifting the blouse exposed my midriff, and the round scar just above my navel. That made me pause and stroke my finger over it. Instead of bearing the paleness of scars from vampire venom, my skin had darkened and puckered in. Children of the Moon could inflict wounds that left deep, visible scars. Mine looked much like the long-healed remainder of an arrow wound I had seen on my father's back so long ago.</p><p>Since Seth had pulled the claw out of me, the site of injury no longer hurt. Memory of the agony, however, made me shudder. I tried to think nothing more of it when I slipped on a new, clean shirt.</p><p>Despite the jet being at full capacity, filled to the cramped brim with a motley crew of wolves and vampires, I sat comfortably across from Seth and Leah, with Alec sitting beside me. The pressurized cabin circulated our mixed scents, and like humans acclimating to high altitude, we got used to the smell of each other despite being natural enemies.</p><p>Garrett, the newest member of the Denali coven and the owner of the jet, looked more than happy being behind the pilot's dashboard.</p><p>"I am grateful that the Cullens have agreed to let me stay in their home for the time being," Alec said to me. "What shall I expect from them when we get there, sister?"</p><p>I could have teased him about keeping it a surprise, but my brother disliked surprises. He was someone who preferred being well informed, so I told him about my stay and the adjustments I had made to my diet.</p><p>Alec made a small wrinkle of his brow. "I can't say I'm very enthusiastic about feeding on animal blood, but if it's part of the commitment to stop taking human lives, and you've shown it's not impossible, then it's something I'm willing to try."</p><p>"Is it really that hard to switch?" Leah asked.</p><p>"It's nowhere near as simple as a human choosing to give up meat," I replied. "Even a human faces repercussions to their physiology if the switch to their diet is made too drastically. The effects are magnified with our kind. Alec and I have consumed human blood fifteen times longer than the average human lifespan." I paused to let the math sink in, then I glanced at Alec. "Not that I'm trying to discourage you. Like Carlisle had said, transitioning is difficult, but not impossible."</p><p>The four of us, a pair of wolf siblings and a pair of vampire siblings, sitting together and facing each other must look strange, surreal, almost amusing. Being forced into close quarters for the duration of an international flight encouraged a dialogue among us, one that bridged the differences between our species. Curiosity brewed. Questions were asked and answered. Instead of following tradition to tear at each other's throats, we sought to better understand one another.</p><p>Then Leah's blunt, straightforward manner took our conversation down a more serious route. "I heard that vampire powers come about from either how you've been as a human, or what had happened to you as a human. What's the story behind you two?"</p><p>Discomfort flickered across Seth's face, and he leaned in toward his sister to mutter, "Leah, I don't think they want to—"</p><p>"It's all right," I said. "We don't mind talking about it." I spoke on behalf of my brother as well.</p><p>Since Seth already knew the story, I told Leah about the night that Alec and I had burned at the stake, at least from my own experience. I fell silent to let my brother share the other half of it.</p><p>His red eyes darkened at the memory. "Jane was filled with hatred for the villagers and wanted them to burn as she did. As for me, I wanted to forget it all. I tried to block out the jeers, the calls to kill us, and the flames that ate into our flesh. I didn't want to feel anything at all. In the end, our wishes were granted. Our wishes became our gifts."</p><p>Leah was made of sterner stuff than Seth. She wasn't moved to tears like he had, but as she listened to our story, she frowned and knitted her brow in the same way one would react to a story about horrific animal abuse.</p><p>"That's so messed up," she finally said. "I'm sorry that happened to you two."</p><p>Alec and I merely acknowledged her reaction with a nod. We weren't used to receiving sympathy. Most would recoil from us in fear.</p><p>Unable to meet our eyes, Leah stared out the window, down at the blanket of clouds beneath us. "Maybe I'm saying this because I have the privilege of being born in a much later time, a more accepting time, but I just can't believe that a whole town would happily burn alive people who are barely older than kids."</p><p>I stared down at my hands folded over my lap. "We are indeed products of our time. From an early age we were exposed to the worst of humanity, and for centuries we had believed that was all there was to them."</p><p>"Honestly, I don't really blame you." Seth gave us the kind of look that one would have for dogs that have been bred and trained to maim and kill. You couldn't help pitying those kinds of things. "You spent your human lives being hated and feared, then you were taken in by a bunch of vampires who enabled you to act on your worst feelings, and ordered you to take your revenge on the world. They taught you to look at humans as just food and pests. You didn't know anything else. You didn't know any better."</p><p>"True, but we must still be held accountable for the lives we've destroyed," Alec murmured. "For that reason I had chosen to give up my gift."</p><p>I nodded. "As did I."</p><p>"That's a huge sacrifice," Seth said in earnest. "You must have used your gifts and relied on them for so long that losing them feels like losing a big part of yourselves."</p><p>He was right, and I appreciated how much he tried to empathize with us, but I shook my head. "It's only a small atonement for the crimes we've committed." I gave him a bitter smile. "Our gifts aren't truly gone. They live on in our memory, as a reminder of the hell we've been through, and as long as we remember, we will never forget."</p><p>Alec reached out to hold the back of my hand. I turned it upward so our palms touched. On this day, with the fall of the Volturi, our long road to healing could finally begin. As the setting sun brought with it broad brush strokes of orange and deep violet, we fell into a somber silence.</p><p>Seth tried to steer us into a lighter subject. "Even in the Volturi, you've had some time to enjoy life. I know that Jane loves to sing. What do you like to do, Alec?"</p><p>"I am a voracious reader," my brother replied.</p><p>Seth leaned forward in his seat. "Oh, what kind of books do you like to read?"</p><p>Alec had read every book in the castle library, and the library held an impressive amount of books. But even that was only a drop compared to an ocean of books the world had to offer. Our former masters had kept works dating up to the Renaissance, and had no interest in any literature written later.</p><p>When my brother said this, Seth clasped the sides of his head. "You haven't read anything after the Renaissance? Oh man, we gotta help you catch up, Alec!"</p><p>He proceeded to flood Alec with recommendations. With all seriousness and diligence, my brother pulled out a pen and paper to jot down a list. I got a glimpse of it over his shoulder:</p><p>Modern Authors to Read</p><p>-Jane Austen<br/>-Charles Dickens<br/>-William Butler Yeats<br/>-Brontë sisters (Charlotte, Emily, Anne)<br/>-Mary Shelley<br/>-Edgar Allan Poe<br/>-JRR Tolkien<br/>-CS Lewis<br/>-Kazuo Ishiguro<br/>-Stephen King<br/>-Shirley Jackson<br/>-Junji Ito</p><p>I had never read any of these post-17th century authors either, and I couldn't help noting that one of them had my name.</p><p>Alec looked impressed with Seth. "You seem like a well-read scholar."</p><p>That got Seth waving his hands sheepishly. "Oh no, a lot of these are just books I had to read in class. I like to read some, but not as much as you, I think. You said you like English literature and spooky stories, so I tried to come up with as many relevant names as I could." Then he added, "I had to include Junji Ito because he's a graphic novelist, not a traditional author, but the stuff he draws is some of the finest, freakiest horror out there. I can lend you my copies of his work. I think you'll like them a lot."</p><p>From there, Seth launched into a passionate discourse on his favorite comic books, prompting Leah to slide an offhand remark over to me: "Once you get him going about comics, he doesn't know how to stop."</p><p>"Let him have his fun," I said with a wink.</p><p>Seth was so occupied with enlightening Alec on the literary merit of comic books that he didn't even seem to notice the little teasing exchange between me and Leah. Sitting nearby, Jasper had overheard the discussion on books. It drew him to us like a moth to a lamp.</p><p>"We're talking book recommendations?" That seemed to make him drop his reserved demeanor a bit as he grinned. "I can provide plenty from the American side."</p><p>Alec was confronted next with Jasper's assertion on the value of American literature. That reminded me of how Jasper was the avid reader of the Cullen family. He was especially fond of books covering wars and battle tactics. Carlisle may have a collection of books on public display in the house, but it was Jasper who kept an even bigger collection in his room. Alec gave Jasper his full attention, which was only diverted when he added yet more authors to his list. I may be witnessing the spark of a quick, easy friendship between Jasper and my brother.</p><p>The jet landed first in Alaska, the Denali coven's final destination and everyone else's connection back to Washington.</p><p>When Alec and I disembarked from the jet, Tanya and Kate waited for us by the ramp. They'd been eyeing us like they had something important to say. After Garrett going out of his way to fly us from Italy, the least I could do was stop and listen.</p><p>"Yes?" I asked.</p><p>Tanya took a step toward us. "Listen, you two, we're grateful for your part in bringing down the Volturi. We'd be fools to say that we could have done it without you. And we didn't overlook how you two gave up your gifts in the battle. That's a big step forward."</p><p>"That being said," Kate cut in. "We can't forget your part in killing our loved ones: our mother Sasha and our sister Irina. We just can't bring ourselves to forgive you for that. Not yet."</p><p>Someone weaker would have quailed before the grilling looks they gave me and Alec, the vestige of the Volturi. We didn't look away; instead we held their gaze and replied with gracious nods.</p><p>"Your feelings toward us are justified," I said. "I don't expect forgiveness, nor would I be so bold to ask for it. Would you at least let me and my brother go without a fight?"</p><p>"That we can do," Tanya said. "As long as you don't stir up trouble, do what you will."</p><p>"We'd rather not see you again anytime soon," Kate added. Her curtness was as chilled as the snow at our feet.</p><p>Alec and I gave another nod. As my brother had said, we had to be held accountable for our long career of terror and destruction. We couldn't turn back time and bring back the lives we helped to destroy, so the least we could do was respect the wishes of the ones who lived on.</p><p>We bid farewell to the Denali coven, and left with the wolf pack and the Cullens on that sobering note.</p><p>Two road trips and a flight later, we arrived in Forks. Carlisle, Esme, and Renesmee showered us with a warm, relief-filled welcome. From the Cullens' house, we parted ways with the wolf pack, who had to head back to the reservation and reunite with their families.</p><p>"Talk to you later, Jane?" Seth asked me.</p><p>"Of course," I replied with a small smile. I took his larger, darker hands into mine. "And Seth, thank you. I'll never forget what you did for me."</p><p>He smiled back and his cheeks turned a shade redder. His dark eyes flickered between my own eyes and my mouth, like he was thinking about giving me a kiss. In front of his sister and the Cullens, however, he bailed and shoved his hands into his pockets. He shied away and darted up a hand over his shoulder in a quick wave at me. A smile lingered on my face as I watched him leave with Leah and Jacob.</p><p>"Aww, what happened?" Emmett asked from behind me. "That could have been such a cute goodbye kiss. Rose could've snapped a picture."</p><p>I turned to him with a little shrug. "Sorry to disappoint you."</p><p>Seth must have sensed that I wasn't ready for it yet. That was why he backed off. I appreciated him for his thoughtfulness.</p><p>After the pack left, Alec could make proper introductions with Carlisle and Esme. He inclined his head at them. "I deeply apologize for my part in the ambush. I'm glad that it hadn't succeeded. Thank you for having me in your home."</p><p>"It's our pleasure," Esme replied. "Edward had told us over the phone that you'd be coming, and we couldn't say no."</p><p>"We can't imagine a better place for you now that Volterra's no longer an option," Carlisle said.</p><p>"Rest assured, Alec will behave much better than I had," I told them. "Give him a handful of good books, and he can sit still and quiet without bothering anyone for hours."</p><p>There was truth behind the teasing. Alec didn't have my ego and temper. He was calm and easygoing, steady and unmoving as a rock in the middle of a turbulent river. If anything, he would have been the better candidate for the Volturi's undercover mission. I chalked it up to my former masters deciding that I'd provide more drama and entertainment. In any case, looking back, I was grateful to be the one chosen for the mission. Otherwise I wouldn't have met Seth and fallen in love with him, and the Volturi would still be standing to continue their tyrannical reign.</p><p>Later in the day, Alec received the rite of initiation: his first cup of mixed blood from Carlisle, just as I had. But unlike me, he drank it without being rude and pulling a face. Outwardly, anyway. I could sense how his tongue wanted to curl in on itself. He thought the drink tasted like arse, too. We shared a secret smile at that.</p><p>Bella must be ecstatic about not having to project her shield like a neon sign that couldn't stop glowing. She had gone off with her spouse and daughter to enjoy family time at their cottage.</p><p>Jasper briefly joined me and Alec in the living room to hand off an armful of books from his shelf.</p><p>"Enjoy," Jasper told Alec with a small smile.</p><p>There was no one in the house happier than my studious little brother, who curled up on the couch to crack open the first book on the pile: <em>The Red Badge of Courage</em>. Alec would adjust well to the new life, certainly better than I had.</p><p>Rosalie approached me with a non-hostile, beseeching look on her face. "Hey, Jane, I want to speak with you in private, if that's all right with you."</p><p>I nodded, wondering what could be on her mind as she led me into her room. Until now, I had never been in any of the younger Cullens' rooms. They'd been off limits during my stay. At Rosalie's permission to enter her private space, I was surprised to see many degrees framed and hanging on her walls. Electrical engineering, astrophysics, even various allied health professions. I had never taken her for an academic, like Carlisle. Her shelves were stacked from end to end with books on cars and technical manuals. She was much more than just a pretty face, I realized.</p><p>Rosalie shut the door behind her and invited me to take the chair at her study desk, while she settled onto the edge of her bed. "I have to be honest: my family didn't want to go save you at first. After the Volturi ambushed us, and we found out about your part in it, we felt that we had no reason to go."</p><p>"I don't blame you," I said.</p><p>"But Seth was so hell bent on rescuing you, even if he had to do it by himself. He made us change our minds. And to do that, he..." She looked down at her lap for a moment. "He told us all about you. Everything you hadn't told us before."</p><p>"You mean my past."</p><p>"Yeah. I completely understand why you wouldn't just freely share that kind of stuff with my family. You've been through hell. I've been through a similar kind of hell, too: the kind where my drunk ex-fiance and his friends thought they'd have some fun with me one night. All that bleeding on the street led Carlisle to me, and the rest is history." Rosalie tried to sound nonchalant, with an airy detachment from the fact. Instead I heard the slightest hitch in her voice, and I knew she still carried the pain through all these years, just as I had.</p><p>"I see," I murmured.</p><p>"Why you've been the way you were for the longest time makes so much sense to me now. You've done terrible things while you were with the Volturi, don't get me wrong. But I also want you to know that for all that terrible stuff you did, you didn't deserve the way those village boys attacked you."</p><p>I didn't realize how much I needed to hear that until she told me. I gripped the armrests of her chair, letting my knuckles go white for a moment. "You didn't deserve your fate, either. I'm sorry."</p><p>"You and I...we're not victims. We're survivors."</p><p>We fell silent for a solid minute, as if processing the newfound kinship we had with each other. For all his brawn and bulk, Emmett would always treat Rosalie with such fond gentleness, which spoke much more volumes to me now that she shared her story. I used to dismiss Emmett as the goofiest member of the family, but my respect for him grew exponentially.</p><p>Finally, Rosalie said, "If you ever need anything—if you want support, if you want to vent—feel free to reach out."</p><p>"Thank you," I replied.</p><p>"I'm sorry I'd been so mean to you at first."</p><p>I shook my head. "All water under the bridge now."</p><p>She got up and opened her bedroom door. "That's, um, all I wanted to pull you in here for."</p><p>I thanked her again, and left her room to wander out to the balcony. I propped my arms on the rail and closed my eyes. I breathed in air of an early evening and a slumbering forest. I let it out with a satisfied sigh. I was free. The thought of that filled me with a staggering, dizzying sense of liberation. It felt half daunting, half exciting.</p><p>I heard Esme gliding out of the living room before she joined me at the balcony.</p><p>"You're doing all right, Jane?"</p><p>I nodded. "Just still trying to process the dust settling."</p><p>"I bet. So much had happened in so short of a time. Edward and Bella had told me all about it. And Seth...before he and my family left for Volterra, he told us your whole story." What she gave me next was a wave of naked, aching sympathy that, if it had any weight and substance, it would have swept me off my feet. "Oh, Jane, it broke my heart to learn that you used to be a mother. And at such a young age."</p><p>Before I could react, Esme reached over to envelop me in a hug. "From one mother to another," she murmured.</p><p>That made me stiffen in her embrace. "You too?" I whispered back.</p><p>She pulled away with a nod. "My little boy died from lung fever two days after he was born. He died so soon that I didn't have time to give him a name." She rested a hand over mine. "And like yours, he wasn't planned. I had an abusive husband before Carlisle turned and married me."</p><p>I gave her a look of understanding. She didn't need to elaborate. Esme and I had more in common than I thought. Her surprise at that came as no surprise to me. Maternal love and instinct had defined her first life, and that only swelled to a magnitude beyond human in her second. The way she cared for the younger Cullens was a testament to that. As for me, searing pain and hatred had defined my last days, and I had spent much of my second life being cold, cruel, and ruthless. How very different Esme and I had turned out to be.</p><p>Not including my brother, no one would have ever expected that I had been a young, happy mother of a baby boy. That was literally a lifetime ago, as if that had been another person, not me.</p><p>"Seth told me that your son was taken away from you on the night you burned at the stake. You must have loved him."</p><p>"Very much." My voice trembled despite great effort to compose myself. Esme gave my hand a gentle comforting squeeze.</p><p>"Mine also came out of pain, and I also didn't have him for very long, but I loved him as well."</p><p>"I'm sorry you've had an unhappy human life. You deserved that least of all." I slid up a shy glance, not quite meeting her eyes. "Tell me, do you think I could ever learn to have even half of your kindness?"</p><p>At my quiet, hesitant question, Esme gave me a warm smile. "I think so. You're already on your way there."</p><p>I let her rest a hand on my shoulder. We remained on the balcony for the rest of the evening, staring off into the forest, reflecting on shared love for our children from another lifetime.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>Mom gave me and Leah the biggest, almost bone-crushing hug when we came home. I could hear and feel the breath knocked out of my chest before I could say "H-hey, Mom."</p><p>If Mom could phase and have a tail, it'd be like a metronome set to the highest speed. "You came back safe and sound, like you promised. I'm treating you both to a feast."</p><p>And treated us, she did. She cooked all of Charlie's catch from the day before, and boy, was it good. Leah and I dined like kings and queens.</p><p>Mom was serious about wanting to meet Jane, but the treaty made that difficult. Mom might be okay with Jane coming over to the rez, but the other elders of the tribal council wouldn't be. We even brought up the matter with them to try getting special permission, but they wouldn't budge. Even Jake's dad didn't put out a vote for allowing the visit. Understandable, I guess—they didn't know and trust Jane like I did. And when I called Jane herself over the phone, to see what she thought, she was adamant about respecting the laws we had.</p><p>I guessed that she'd been a rule enforcer herself for so long that letting any kind of rules slide still wouldn't sit well with her. That turned out for the better. Jane respecting tribal law made my mom like her even more.</p><p>We decided that the three of us would meet up at the pier where I liked to fish. It was outside the rez, and therefore outside the rules. Mom was helping me set up a new fishing rod when Jane arrived.</p><p>"Hello there, Jane," Mom said with a smile. "I'm glad to see you're out of harm's way now. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."</p><p>Jane inclined her head. "The pleasure is mine, as well, Mrs. Clearwater."</p><p>"Please, just call me Sue. I'm told you've been here before."</p><p>"Yes, I have." Jane had worn a mask as a precaution, but at Mom's insistence to take it off, she obliged.</p><p>Mom took in Jane's whole angelic face with astonishment. "Well, you're even more stunning and lovely in person," she remarked. Then she quickly added, "Seth showed me pictures of you two together."</p><p>I scratched the back of my head. "I, uh, might've kept that one you wanted me to delete."</p><p>Jane made a show of putting her hands on her hips and slowly shaking her head in resignation, as if to say "Really, Seth?", and that made Mom laugh. A nice departure from Jane's usual barbed sense of humor.</p><p>I was thrilled beyond words that we started off on the right foot. I was beside myself with nervousness up to this point—as all guys should be before bringing the girlfriend home to his parents, I guessed.</p><p>I tossed out my fishing line, and while I waited for a bite, Mom and Jane struck up small talk. I got my sense of curiosity from Mom, and a particular interest of hers was the history of medicine, how it had changed and evolved over time. So Jane, growing up in medieval England, was a treasure trove of information. Mom was fascinated to hear about a time before modern medicine and nurses like her, a time when scary-looking plague doctors walked around and people believed in outdated stuff like balancing humors, or that demons and elves caused disease. It was real brave of Mom to look comfortable around Jane, who wasn't a full-fledged "vegetarian" vampire yet. And a former member of the Volturi, on top of that.</p><p>It was great having Mom in on all the tribe's secrets, and by extension secrets of the supernatural world. Jane and I didn't have to hold back on telling her everything about wolves and vampires. Bella didn't have the same luxury with poor Charlie, who had been kept in the dark about all of this since she had married Edward.</p><p>That made me turn away my focus from fishing. "Hey, Mom, since the Volturi are no longer around to keep secrets, do you think it's okay for people to know about vampires now? What about Charlie?"</p><p>That made Mom take on a thoughtful expression. "I don't think everyone's ready for that yet. As for letting Charlie know, we should leave that up to Bella. If it's okay with her to tell her father, then it would be okay with me."</p><p>"I agree with your mother," Jane said. "The world isn't ready to accept our existence yet. There are enough problems with tolerance and equality among your own peoples."</p><p>"Yeah, racism," I said with a sigh. "You got a point there."</p><p>The world wasn't so simple as what we had going among me, Leah, Jane, and Alec. I wished we could all just get along, try to understand each other and coexist in peace. We could avoid so many lost lives and bloodshed that way. People fear what they don't understand. That fear was what had put Jane and Alec on a burning stake.</p><p>Out of the corner of my eye, Mom handed over a pole to Jane. She gave Jane tips on how to catch fish even bigger than the rainbow trout she had caught a while back. Mom knew even more about fishing than I did. It warmed my heart to watch Jane listen carefully to my mom, who made demonstrative gestures between the handle of the rod and the lake stretched out before us.</p><p>Maybe the key to help the whole world accept vampires started with one little step at a time.</p><p>We ended our morning on the pier with a cooler full of big, fat salmon and trout.</p><p>"Thank you for coming out here, outside the reservation, to meet me," Jane said to my mom. "You are an amazing mother for raising such a kind, wonderful son."</p><p>Her parting words really flattered Mom and made her say, "You hear that, Seth? That's how you know she's a real keeper!"</p><p>After having Mom and Jane meet at the pier, I had to coop up at home and hunker down for finals week. Finals didn't seem so scary anymore, especially after I had snuck into a castle in Italy to save my tortured girlfriend and fight evil vampires.</p><p>I wanted to wind down from finals by hanging out more with Jane. I went over to the Cullens' place and asked Alec if that was okay. Twins like them seemed inseparable.</p><p>Alec considered my question for a few moments, looking a bit reluctant. Then he said, "Jane should be free to go wherever she pleases. She doesn't need to have me around all the time. If she wants time alone with you, then I respect that. But I appreciate you letting me know where you'll be, in case something happens."</p><p>Jane gave her brother a kiss on the cheek and an appreciative smile before leaving the house with me. I felt appreciation for him, too. He must trust me a great deal to feel comfortable with letting his sister hang out with me.</p><p>"Is that a Kindle I saw him holding?" I asked her as we started our walk. "Looks like he's having the time of his life with it. Must be blowing his 1200 year-old mind."</p><p>"Yes, he still can't believe just how many books you can keep and read on that one device. That will occupy him for hours."</p><p>"What happened to the pile of books Jasper gave him a few days ago?"</p><p>"Oh, he already finished them. That's why the Cullens have upgraded him to a Kindle."</p><p>I shook my head in disbelief. A pile that high would take me a month to get through. "There's such a thing called speed reading, but what he's doing is taking it to a whole new level."</p><p>I took Jane to the field of dandelions, where she had been helping me prepare for my Latin final. We started up another dandelion fight, to see who would end up looking the most like a fluffy white sheep. I had learned my lesson from last time; now Jane was the one more covered in dandelions than I was.</p><p>She was pulling fluff out of her hair when I said, "Oh, I have your ribbon! It fell out when you were taken away." I fished it out of my pocket. "Here, you can have it back."</p><p>"Thank you, Seth." Our fingers touched for a moment as she took the ribbon from me. I watched her tie shoulder-length locks inside a neat black bow.</p><p>"You look good with your hair down, too."</p><p>"Is that so?" She tucked a stray strand behind her ear. "I'm simply used to having it tied back."</p><p>My cheeks grew warm. "You're really pretty either way."</p><p>I was no suave, smooth-talking flirt, but she looked pleased by my honesty.</p><p>I thought back to our rehearsal of <em>The Aeneid</em>, and the roles we had to play. "You know how Aeneas left for Italy? So did you, Jane."</p><p>"Yes, but I came back. Dido may not have gotten her happy ending, but you did."</p><p>That made me grin from ear to ear. We weren't Aeneas and Dido, after all. We were Seth and Jane. We had carved out our own story instead of following another one, and it didn't become a tragedy. Having Jane by my side, alive and free, had me on cloud nine. A few stubborn dandelions stuck to her hair and clothes, when not too long ago she'd been covered in blood from the werewolf claw. I preferred the dandelions over the blood any day.</p><p>We leaned back against a pair of tree trunks at the fringe of the forest. Jane still kept her distance from me, but if we were to reach out with our arms, our hands would touch. Would she be okay with holding hands?</p><p>I was about to stretch out my arm when there came a buzz in the pocket of my cargo pants. At first I thought it was a text from Mom or Leah, but looking at my phone made my heart skip a beat. "Oh, final grades are up online." Already? That was fast.</p><p>Jane sat by quietly while I checked my grades. I let out a whoop so loud that it echoed through the forest and scared some birds off the treetops.</p><p>"Got As in all my classes! And get this, Jane: a perfect score on my Latin final!"</p><p>She smiled at me. "Congratulations."</p><p>Leah would give me a "good job, bro" punch in the arm, while Mom would grab my hands and spin me around in a little victory dance. Jane wasn't the most boisterous or expressive person, but the happiness for me glowed on her face like a little sun.</p><p>"I'm not surprised," she went on. "I've seen firsthand how hard you've worked."</p><p>"I couldn't have done it without you. I'm so happy that I could kiss you right now." Then my face took on the heat of a tribal bonfire. "Um, may I?"</p><p>Jane considered it for a few moments, then she made the tiniest nod. I understood her hesitation. I was still her blood singer, and lingering would only make it difficult for her, which was the last thing I wanted. Forget slow and sensual—for now, anyway—I would have to make it neat and quick. A lot easier said than done, since I had never kissed anyone on the lips before.</p><p>Okay, here it goes.</p><p>I closed my eyes and leaned in toward her, only for me to misjudge the angle. We bumped noses. "S-sorry," I stuttered. God, could I make this even more embarrassing?</p><p>A chuckle slipped out of her, like the tinkling of a wind chime. "It's all right."</p><p>I leaned in again so that our smiles touched. It was one thing to see someone smile, but to touch it..."magical" was the closest word I could come up with for the feeling, but even that didn't seem adequate.</p><p>When we pulled apart, the tribal bonfire in my body turned into a forest fire from the warmth in her amber eyes.</p><p>"You still think we can't be together?" I asked softly. "A wolf like me and a vampire like you?"</p><p>She tilted her head. "I have to admit it's hard to still think that when you're so stubborn." A corner of her lips tugged upward. "But that's what I love about you."</p><p>I reached out to hold her hand, and to my delight, she didn't pull away. I hoped we could grow comfortable enough with each other to close the distance between us even more. We'd do it in little steps.</p><p>A weighty, solid snap among the trees made me tense up. Definitely not squirrels. The bond that our hands formed broke as I sprang to my feet.</p><p>"Seth, what's wrong?"</p><p>My hearing was sharper than hers, but a moment later, she caught on as the tide of an uninviting scent washed over the two of us.</p><p>"Two of my kind," she hissed.</p><p>The treetops just above us trembled as the newcomers cut their airborne sprint to a halt. Two men, both in leathery black, though one had dark hair and the other had hair almost white as snow. They perched on the branches with deadly ease. Two pairs of red eyes leered down at us.</p><p>"Found you, little witch," the white-haired one said.</p><p>"But where's your brother?" the one with darker hair asked.</p><p>"That's right, aren't you two always together?"</p><p>"What business do you have with that stinking wolf?"</p><p>I thrust out an arm, not so much to make a barrier between them and Jane, but more to say "Hands off!"</p><p>"Get behind me, Jane," I growled.</p><p>She didn't need to be told twice. We slipped into guarded stances, keeping our back to the field of dandelions.</p><p>I knew these two. The guys from Romania. I had seen them before when they had sided with the Cullens during the Renesmee debate. They definitely weren't on our side now. My mind raced and struggled to dig up names. Jake used to call them Dracula One and Dracula Two.</p><p>Then it hit me. Stefan and Vladimir.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>I'd been such a shortsighted fool. I should have known that the Romanian survivors would be after me and Alec, swooping in like vultures to pick off the remainders of the Volturi.</p><p>If I had my power, I could take down those two in a blink of an eye. They wouldn't have dared to confront me like this. Now the tables were turned, and I had to take cover behind Seth, as if I was some helpless child.</p><p>Who was I kidding? I <em>was</em> a helpless child. The Romanians couldn't have found me in a worse position.</p><p>Vladimir tilted his head at Seth. "Why is a little wolf like you protecting that little witch?"</p><p>"Do you have any idea of the destruction she had wrought?" Stefan asked. "The number of bodies she had left behind?"</p><p>Seth didn't lower his outstretched arm. "You don't have to tell me," he said curtly. "I already know."</p><p>The Romanians were besides themselves with glee to tell him, anyway.</p><p>"We were once a hundred strong, at the top of the world, and then—" Vladimir snapped his fingers. "Nearly wiped out overnight, leaving only us two, no thanks to the witch twins."</p><p>"She and her brother are responsible for the destruction of our coven, our army. Our mates." Stefan spat out the last word.</p><p>"We never forget. And we will never forgive."</p><p>Stefan curled in his fingers towards himself. "Give up the witch to us, little wolf, and we will let you run off with your tail between your legs unharmed."</p><p>I leaned my face close to Seth's ear, and slipped in a whisper so quiet that only he would be able to hear. "Don't shift yet. Keep talking to them. Keep stalling."</p><p>His chin jerked in a near imperceptible nod. Meanwhile I reached into the mental link I shared with Alec, and cried out to him for help. At a certain distance, we would be too far apart to keep that mental link connected, but this forest was somewhat close to the Cullen house. If Alec was still over there, he would be able to hear me, come running, and bring the Cullens with him.</p><p>Seth continued to glare up at Stefan and Vladimir, making no move to hand me over. "First off, my name is not 'little wolf.' It's Seth. Second, there's no need to go after Jane and Alec anymore. They dropped out of the Volturi and helped destroy them. They gave up their powers and want to live in peace now."</p><p>Vladimir made a roll of his red eyes. "Do not waste our time telling us what we already know. News travels quickly among our kind. We know that the witch twins have made themselves helpless little lambs." A cruel grin crossed his pale face. "We just couldn't resist coming for the slaughter."</p><p>"They do not deserve to live in peace," Stefan declared. "Not after what they've done."</p><p>I couldn't keep myself quiet anymore. "Don't talk of me and my brother as if we're the only sinners," I snapped. "You had drawn the attention of the Volturi in the first place for your bloody reign over humans. You've killed and enslaved droves of them in your homeland, and forced them to worship you as gods." With these two, I had no guilt over my part in dismantling their coven. As corrupt as the Volturi was overall, sometimes we had been a necessary evil to keep our kind in line.</p><p>"Now that the Volturi no longer have power over us, we will return to that golden age," Stefan said.</p><p>Vladimir laughed. "What's stopping us now, after all?"</p><p>Seth's voice rang with angered disbelief. "You're not serious."</p><p>"Oh, we are. But before we go claim those thrones at Volterra, we want that bitch's head on a stake."</p><p>A chain reaction ensued. Stefan and Vladimir dropped straight from the treetops, pushing Seth's anger and tension to a breaking point. He exploded into his wolf form. I stumbled and fell onto my back, into the field of dandelions. Seth turned to the side to cover me with the length of his whole body now. His sand-colored fur stood on end and he bared his fangs at the Romanians.</p><p>Seth's show of aggression didn't startle or frighten those two in the least. Instead they merely exchanged a glance filled with amusement.</p><p>"It doesn't have to come to this, little wolf," Stefan said with a shake of his head.</p><p>Vladimir scowled. "Final warning: give us the girl, or you'll be joining her in pieces."</p><p>Seth crouched lower on the ground, a growl rippling like thunder trapped in his throat. He couldn't speak in this form, but it was clear to me that he would stand and fight.</p><p>The Romanians lunged at us like a cold, deadly prong. Seth leapt out to tackle Vladimir, but wasn't quick enough to take down Stefan, who smoothly sidestepped the snap of fangs to hurl his whole weight at me.</p><p>That kind of force against my small frame sent me flying across the field of dandelions. I struck the ground several times before I rolled to a stop. I could feel cracked spots all over my body. I didn't even have time to wince and groan as Stefan pinned me down like a lion with its prey. And like a lion, he sank his teeth into me. He tore out a chunk of flesh between my neck and shoulder.</p><p>I screamed and a sob tore at my throat.</p><p>Bloodlust glittered in Stefan's eyes. "I'll make this slow, and I'll make this hurt, before I kill you. That's how you always used to do it, right?"</p><p>Suddenly his hold on me was wrenched away. Something strong and burly had rammed into him. Or rather, someone. It took me a moment to recognize Emmett.</p><p>Alec stood over me next, his face twisted in distress. "Sister! I heard you calling." He pulled me up to my feet, and clasped my uninjured shoulder. "You're hurt!"</p><p>"I-I'll be fine," I managed to say. I had been through worse.</p><p>A huge wave of relief almost made me sink to the ground again. As noble and fierce was his desire to protect me, Seth couldn't fight off two long-lived, battle-hardened vampires by himself. The timely arrival of Alec and the Cullens evened the odds.</p><p>As soon as Alec had helped me up, I caught a glimpse of a light grey streak throwing Vladimir off his feet, freeing Seth from a stranglehold. It was Leah in her wolf form. No doubt she had heard her brother's call for help in their own pack mind.</p><p>Like a herd of bison forming a circle around their vulnerable calves, the wolves and the Cullens gathered around me and Alec.</p><p>Stefan and Vladimir regrouped with their backs to the forest.</p><p>Vladimir smirked. "Ah, here's the brother now. We can kill two birds with one stone."</p><p>"Not with you all in the way," Stefan snarled. His glare at the Cullens could curdle milk. "Have you all gone soft in the head for these witch twins? Tell me that this is some kind of sick joke."</p><p>Seth and Leah showed their fangs and pulled back their ears, firming their protective stances in front of me and Alec. No, they were certainly not in the mood to joke around.</p><p>Carlisle took a step forward, his voice measured with diplomatic calmness. "Stefan, Vladimir, please leave Jane and Alec be. You have no reason to hunt them down anymore. They are no longer with the Volturi and are no longer a threat."</p><p>The Romanians burst out in scornful laughter.</p><p>"No longer a threat, perhaps, but ripe for vengeance, finally."</p><p>"They must pay for their long list of crimes."</p><p>I clasped Alec's hand, and despite fear coursing like a cold river between us, I found it in me to speak up again. "We will, but not with our lives. We can't go about making amends when we're dead."</p><p>"Shut up," Stefan hissed.</p><p>Vladimir curled up his lip. "Your talk of making amends is like spitting right in our faces."</p><p>"They are far past negotiations." Edward's voice was low and grim as he addressed his family. "They mean to resume their rule now that the Volturi's gone. It'll lead to chaos, hundreds and thousands of people killed. We can't let them leave here alive."</p><p>His fellow coven members tensed around him.</p><p>Carlisle's face tightened, as if in pain. Then he said quietly, "We have no choice, then."</p><p>Stefan and Vladimir seemed to sense the murderous intent among the Cullens as they backed away.</p><p>"We'll come back for those witch twins."</p><p>"We'll live to fight another day."</p><p>The Cullens surged forward as a pack of the world's deadliest predators, bent on making sure none of those vows would come to fruition. Carlisle and Esme, however, stayed behind to stop Leah and Seth from bounding off as well.</p><p>"This is best left to Edward and the others," Carlisle said.</p><p>Esme voiced her agreement. "You two won't be able to catch Stefan and Vladimir if they take to the trees."</p><p>The wolves nodded in understanding and kept their guard around me and Alec. We had no choice but to wait in the field for the others to return. Carlisle turned to me to inspect my injuries. I lifted up part of my shirt to reveal cracks along my torso. More cracks showed when I pulled back my sleeves. Alec's jaw tightened, while Seth lowered his muzzle and whined at the sight.</p><p>"She'll be all right," Carlisle assured them as much as me. "The wounds will heal over in a few hours. Even that bite off the shoulder will heal in a day or two."</p><p>Seth kept his gaze downcast, his tail curled in between his legs. He looked like a sad puppy that I had to console. Biting back a wince, I gingerly walked over to him and ran my hand over his neck.</p><p>"It's not your fault," I murmured into his ear. "It's mine for not being able to protect myself."</p><p>I could have helped Seth fight, but now that I was powerless, I was as much use as a sitting duck. But even a duck decoy, which helped hunters attract real ducks, could be more useful than me. So that made me even more useless than a sitting duck. How pathetic.</p><p>Seth gently pressed his cheek against my stomach, and I reached down to stroke the top of his head. Only his eyes were signs of the boy within the wolf, the only thing that didn't change between forms. His gaze up at me was wet and achingly familiar. I bent down to kiss the fur between his eyes.</p><p>About two minutes later, the Cullens returned bearing dismembered remainders of Stefan and Vladimir. We moved to a clearing where they could safely burn the bodies without setting the forest on fire.</p><p>"They were fast, but not fast enough," Edward told us with solemn triumph.</p><p>I fixed my glare at the fire. I should be thanking him and the Cullens for eliminating those two, but I was too choked up with shame and humiliation to say anything. Stefan and Vladimir had held a burning, deep-seated grudge for me and Alec for over a thousand years, and I had always brushed it off like a fly until now. Leaving the Volturi and losing our powers had left us vulnerable to the face of the Romanians' wrath. Alec and I would have been easily torn to pieces had it not been for the new alliance we shared with the wolves and the Cullens. They may have saved us this time, but Alec and I couldn't hide behind their protection forever.</p><p>We used to be the strongest vampires in the world, damn it. Now we were the weakest. I may not have my gift anymore, but I'd always have my pride. And my pride had never been more bruised than now. That was the greatest wound of all.</p><p>My hands curled into fists. "I want to learn how to fight. If I'm going to live without my power, then I will master the art of combat. I want to be so good at it that I can reclaim my title as one of the strongest among my kind."</p><p>I paused for a moment, then I went on. "I admit that's my ego talking, but there's another compelling reason. Stefan and Vladimir serve as a reminder of the power gap the Volturi had left, and the consequences of leaving our kind unchecked. I have no intentions of resurrecting the Volturi from the ashes, but our world needs order. There has to be some way to keep the peace, and to prevent war and chaos."</p><p>The way that Seth and Leah had defended me and Alec, in all our weakness and helplessness, inspired me to someday do the same for others. That was how we could atone for our sins. That would be our new purpose in life.</p><p>Alec said nothing, but I knew he shared my sentiment and he conveyed his determination in steadfast silence.</p><p>The answer between us was clear, but the others may not know, so I said, "Alec and I know who to go to for training. We must go to Japan and seek out Goro."</p><p>Recognition lit up only in Carlisle's eyes. Everyone else stared at me blankly.</p><p>"Who's Goro?" Jasper asked.</p><p>"Goro is many things," Carlisle said. "A fisherman, a doctor, a scholar, and most of all, a warrior. He is one of the very few vampires who uses weapons in battle, weapons such as swords and spears."</p><p>Surprised glances were exchanged among the Cullens and the wolves. The vast majority of my kind fought without weapons. In most cases, our bodies were our own and best weapons. To effectively use anything else in battle took a great deal of skill. The kind of skill that Goro possessed.</p><p>"Eight hundred years ago, during the feudal era, he had collaborated with the Volturi to exterminate Children of the Moon in Japan," I said. "Fifty years into it, he had sworn off killing them. He declined working any further with the Volturi, and we hadn't heard from him since."</p><p>"We assume he has been keeping a low profile," Alec mused. "He's too skilled of a warrior for us to believe he'd been killed."</p><p>Carlisle nodded. "I was able to contact Goro shortly after my newborn years, after finding out by accident that I could survive on animal blood. Around 1660, I had traveled to Japan and sought him out. I had heard stories of his devotion to a diet of animal blood and peaceful coexistence with humans. He wasn't easy to find, but we met nonetheless, and he took me under his wing."</p><p>Edward's eyes widened. "This must have been during your two centuries of learning to control your thirst."</p><p>"Yes. It was Goro who instilled much of that discipline and lifestyle into me. He had made me the doctor I am today, since he was a doctor himself. He had also offered to train me in armed combat, but I turned it down. I don't have his fighting spirit." Then Carlisle chuckled. "He must be still waiting for my return, hoping that I'd change my mind."</p><p>"Where could we find him?" I asked.</p><p>Carlisle knitted his brow. "It's hard to know these days. He tends to stay around Shikoku, where Japan gets the most rainfall, but he moves around many rural towns, between the coast and the mountainside. The locals will give you a better idea of where he might be."</p><p>The fire dwindled to embers and ashes by now. Alec folded his arms over his chest. "Even if my sister and I could track him down, I doubt that he'd be willing to accept us as students. I heard that it had been centuries since he had last taught anyone."</p><p>"You have a point, Alec," Carlisle replied. "Goro is a man who keeps his secrets closely guarded. He's stingy about sharing his techniques. He told me himself that I had been the first person in eight hundred years that he'd be interested in teaching." He smiled down at us. "But don't worry. If I put in a good word for you two, he may agree to teach you."</p><p>"We would appreciate that immensely," I said.</p><p>"So it's settled, then?" Bella looked between me and my brother. "You're really going to Japan?"</p><p>Alec and I nodded. The embers behind us served as a backdrop of our kindling determination. Then I couldn't help slipping in a wry comment: "You'll be seeing us soon if we aren't successful."</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>I couldn't believe it. Jane and Alec were really set on learning how to fight in Japan.</p><p>If it was me, I'd be bouncing off the walls about going to the land of manga and anime, but the twins were going on dead serious business. I had to admire their dedication to doing a complete 360 on their lives.</p><p>At the same time I felt like I had just gotten Jane back, and soon she'd be leaving me again. Maybe it was selfish of me to feel sad at that, but I couldn't help feeling that way. Conflicted thoughts clashed in my head the whole way home.</p><p>My clothes and phone got wrecked when I had phased. I would have to tell Mom about getting new ones. The clothes she'd understand, but the phone wouldn't make her happy.</p><p><em>Thanks for coming to my rescue</em>, I told Leah. <em>That guy almost had me.</em></p><p><em>I'm just glad I was fast enough to get there in time</em>, she replied.</p><p>As we loped through the forest, my mind wandered past our close call to dwell on the bigger picture.</p><p>
  <em>Jane was right about vampires needing some kind of order, something better than the Volturi. Makes me wonder how many other Stefans and Vladimirs are out there, waiting to wreak havoc.</em>
</p><p><em>I don't want to think about it</em>, Leah said with a growl. <em>Dealing with two of them is enough for me.</em></p><p>She had a point, too. There was only so much that the wolves at La Push could do. We were just one little pack, sticking to our little stretch of land. If we thought about trouble that brewed outside our borders, trouble that we can't do much about, we'd go crazy.</p><p>That was why I couldn't help admiring the Volturi—just a bit—for their far-reaching influence. None of their law was written down, yet everyone in the vampire world knew about their power and authority, and because of that, most stayed in their lane.</p><p>Jane and Alec were going to Japan so they could learn how to introduce another kind of order. I was impressed with their ambition. But a small part of me, the selfish part of me, wished that their ambitions wouldn't take them so far away.</p><p>Leah and I stopped by the house to get changed and recharged. Leah wanted to keep vegging out, but I wanted to meet up with the Cullens again so I could talk to Jane.</p><p>As usual, I worked up a sweat as I ran over on foot, trying not to ruin more clothes. "Pardon the stink," was my usual joking greeting when I stepped inside their house.</p><p>"You don't stink to me," came Jane's reply. "Not so much anymore, anyway."</p><p>That made me smile. "You're doing okay?" I asked as I joined her in the living room. "How are your wounds?"</p><p>"I'm feeling much better already," she assured me.</p><p>I tried not to look at the jagged tear between her neck and shoulder. I'd been too busy fighting off Vladimir to see Stefan sink his teeth into her, but I had definitely heard her scream. It was one of the worst sounds in the world, and I didn't want to hear it again.</p><p>"Is Carlisle coming with you to Japan?" I asked.</p><p>Jane shook her head. "He's too busy taking care of patients here. It'll be just Alec and me."</p><p>"Oh, gotcha." I could overhear Carlisle and Alec at the dining table, going over logistics and paperwork for travel to Japan and getting around once they got there. Jane and Alec would be able to fly over, thanks to documents claiming they needed emergency appointments with a reputable doctor in Japan. In a way, the papers were telling the truth.</p><p>Whoever was Carlisle's teacher in diet control and medicine had to be quite some guy. I hoped that Goro would agree to be Jane and Alec's teacher, too.</p><p>"I wish I can come with you," I said to Jane. "But I'd better stay in La Push to look out for the rez."</p><p>"Yes, that would be best." Then she made that wry, one-sided grin I've come to love so much. "Besides, for lack of better words, I don't think you'd want to see me getting my ass kicked to the moon and back."</p><p>I grimaced. "Yeesh, Goro's that tough?"</p><p>"So Carlisle says. Apparently students who could finish weapons training with Goro did it in under five years. But you're talking five years of training all day and all night, with no need for rest like a human, and with only blood for sustenance. It is extremely intense."</p><p>That did sound really hardcore, but hope buoyed my heart a little. "So you could come back here in five years? Maybe even less?"</p><p>"I'll do my best," she replied. "Alec and I are willing to put in the effort if it means a better world for our kind."</p><p>She and her brother had packed lightly for the trip—just backpacks carrying travel papers and some change of clothes. Alec packed his new Kindle, and Jane packed her phone so she could keep in touch with us.</p><p>They filled up on mixed blood so they'd be good on food and energy for the next week or two. The Cullens wished them a ton of good luck, Esme wrapped them up in a big motherly hug, then Carlisle drove them to the airport. I tagged along for the car ride, so I could say good-bye to Jane at the farthest possible point of no return.</p><p>"I'm so excited for you guys," I said. "And a bit nervous."</p><p>"We'd be lying if we told you that we aren't nervous as well," Alec admitted.</p><p>"Goro is a very strict teacher, I won't deny it," Carlisle said from behind the wheel. "But he does it all in the name of helping you grow and better yourselves. Try to remember that."</p><p>Once at the airport, before Jane and Alec would line up for security, I pulled a small box from my pocket. "Here, Jane, I've been waiting for the right time to give this to you. Seems like a good time as any for you to have it now, so you'll have something to remember me by while you're in Japan."</p><p>She accepted the box, and opened it to reveal a necklace. Her amber eyes went wide. She delicately turned over the hand-carved wolf's head at the end of the necklace.</p><p>"Did you make this?" she breathed.</p><p>"Yeah." I scratched the back of my head. "I'm not a professional, so I'm sorry if it's not—"</p><p>"No, it looks perfect." She draped it around her neck, clipped it behind herself, and smiled up at me. "Thank you, Seth. It's a fitting replacement for the Volturi pendant. I'll treasure it for as long as I live."</p><p>"That's a very thoughtful gift," Carlisle said to me.</p><p>I angled myself down to give Jane the obligatory farewell kiss at the airport. Our height difference made her stand on the balls of her feet to reach me. We didn't bump noses this time. That would've been embarrassing in public. She let my lips linger against hers for a second longer, because both of us knew that we wouldn't be seeing each other like this for a while.</p><p>She pulled back from me with a resolute fire in her eyes. "Next time I see you, I'll be golden-eyed and a proper warrior. You can count on it."</p><p>Her solemn vow made me grin from ear to ear. "I believe in you."</p><p>I turned to shake Alec's hand and I showered them both with best wishes and good luck. I didn't have to tell Alec to look after Jane, because I knew he would.</p><p>Carlisle shook their hands as well. "Please give Goro my regards."</p><p>He and I watched the twins part ways with us to get through security, and only when I couldn't see Jane anymore did I turn away to leave.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Alec</strong>
</p><p>It had been fifty years since Jane and I last set foot in Japan. On behalf of the Volturi, we had hunted down a rogue vampire to Mount Fuji, where he'd been hiding when he found out that he wasn't getting away with his reckless killing sprees, after all.</p><p>"How's your Japanese, brother?" Jane asked me during the flight.</p><p>"Certainly not as good as yours." Then I smirked. "I'm going to have to depend on you."</p><p>"When it comes to speaking, maybe, but you're better at reading it."</p><p>It had been a while since either of us had to deal with Japanese. Jane was more adept at speaking it, while I could read two of the three writing systems. We would have to put our heads together to make our way through, as we usually did.</p><p>Carlisle had gotten us tickets for a direct flight from Seattle to Kochi, Shikoku. Jane and I had never been in Japan away from the mainland before. From Kochi, we set out on foot to Iya Valley, where Goro was reportedly last seen. Distant from the bustling cities, the forests and hills of Shikoku provided ample cover for us to run. That saved us from wasting our time in trains crammed with humans.</p><p>It was overcast and sprinkling in Iya Valley, as Carlisle said it would, and mist shrouded much of the hills to give them an air of mystery. Perfect living conditions for our kind. The first town we reached was sparsely populated and tucked away at the base of the valley, like old change left and forgotten at the bottom of a pocket.</p><p>I thought that the rain would make people keep their eyes lowered to the ground, but our arrival drew many stares. Nowadays, city locals wouldn't bat an eye at white foreigners. But here in the countryside, despite our hooded raincoats and cloth masks, Jane and I stuck out like sore thumbs. Some of the townspeople even shied away from us. We must look like ghosts to them, and in these parts, superstitions must still live on.</p><p>We attracted even more looks as Jane had to ask around at the street market.</p><p>"Excuse us, we are looking for a man named Goro," she'd say. "We heard that he would come here to sell fish."</p><p>We got many stuttering dead ends from vendors, mostly surprised remarks that she could speak Japanese well. Finally, an old woman selling river eels gave us a coherent answer.</p><p>"You won't find him here this time of the year," she said, all while wrangling slippery eels with her bare, aged hands. "He'll be closer to the coast. Ask the towns there."</p><p>We followed her directions, our way to the coast marked by the smell of salt in the air that grew heavier and heavier in my nose. The air was thick with the smell of fish as well. The fishermen didn't gawk at us as much as the townspeople farther inland. They were too busy wrestling with their nets and their catch.</p><p>"Goro? Sure, he's here," a wizened old fisherman told Jane. "He likes to be out and about in the dead of night, catching squid. You'll have to be up really late to catch him."</p><p>Not a problem for us, who didn't need sleep and rest.</p><p>We lingered at the edge of town until nightfall, and as it stretched on to an early morning, Jane and I headed back to the pier. It was a moonless night, so the water reflected only the glow of lanterns on its crests. Our footsteps hardly made a sound on the damp wood.</p><p>At the end of the pier, we caught sight of a large man appearing to be in his mid forties. He studied the water, jigging for squid. A fishing rod bag was slung over his broad back. Nets pooled behind his feet. Even under a moonless night, I noticed that his skin was as pale as ours. Jane and I exchanged a meaningful glance. That had to be the famous Goro.</p><p>His deep, rumbling voice, like thunder curling through dark clouds, cut into our thoughts over how we'd introduce ourselves.</p><p>"Is it true? Have the Volturi really fallen?" He spoke to us in fluent, unaccented English, which would be out of place in these parts.</p><p>"Yes, they are no more," Jane replied, also in English.</p><p>"Then what do you want with me?"</p><p>We glanced at each other again, and we thought that we had better start with mentioning Carlisle, instead of jumping to the proposal of training.</p><p>I too spoke English. "We know Dr. Carlisle Cullen. He told us that we'd find you here."</p><p>"Hah! Don't give me that. Everyone knows Carlisle." With a great fluid tug, Goro pulled a large squid from the sea and let it slap down into the nets. Golden eyes pierced through the gloom, and they would have pierced into our souls, if we had them. "What are you really here for?"</p><p>There was no way around it now. Jane bowed at the waist, and I quickly followed suit.</p><p>"We would like you to take us in as students," she said, speaking for both of us. "Please teach us how to fight."</p><p>Goro snorted and held his belly as a great laugh shook it. "I haven't taught a soul in eight hundred years. I've certainly never taught anyone as tiny and young as you two. I don't just hand out my ways of the sword like church flyers, especially to whelps." He took up his nets and stalked past us. "You must've come a long way to see me. Sorry to disappoint you. Run back home, kids."</p><p>Jane narrowed her lips, but otherwise she maintained an air of calm. She still faced the end of the pier, while Goro walked off in the opposite direction. I watched the distance between him and us two grow.</p><p>Then, in the ebb and flow of poetic Japanese, Jane murmured, "'I ventured to see if what I had heard is true, with this jeweled branch with leaves so real. T'was nothing more than an empty promise.'"</p><p>Goro froze in his tracks.</p><p>Jane and I turned to have our gazes meet his glance over his shoulder. I replied next, striving to match my sister's cadence. "'Oh arrow of mine with power pure and immense to slay the dragon, do your good deed fast and swift; grasp the crystal in its neck.'"</p><p>Goro faced us properly once more, his golden eyes narrowed. "How do you know those verses?" he asked in Japanese.</p><p>A smile ghosted on Jane's face, and she replied in his native tongue, "Like my brother had said, we know Carlisle."</p><p>"Hmph." The nets swung in front of Goro as he folded arms across his barrel-like chest. "I gave those verses to him, and only to him, so that if he returned, he'd say them back to me as a sign that he'd commit to my way of the sword. Looks like he entrusted them to you two. You're really serious about the training, then?"</p><p>We gave him solemn nods.</p><p>Goro didn't answer us right away. He lowered his net into the water to release the squid he had caught. He slung the net over his shoulder and beckoned at us with his free hand.</p><p>At his signal for us to follow, Jane and I took our first steps on the long, hard journey ahead. By journey, I didn't mean merely following Goro to Iya Valley. I meant the training we would have to endure.</p><p>He led us up several vine bridges, up to the highest hill. By that time, the sun had peeked its bright head through the thin, pale drape of dawn. He stopped us at the peak, set his fishing pole bag and nets onto the gravel, and turned to face us.</p><p>Looking upon Goro properly for the first time, we saw that most of his head was shaved save for the sparse dark hair along the top, like grass of the Central Asian steppes that'd been painted in ink. His features seemed to be hewn from broad, chiseled stone. Most of all, his face was etched in dark, crosshatched scars. Shock and awe lanced between me and Jane. Two of the longest scars ran down his left eye, while another curved below his right one like a shadowed crescent. Others dug into his cheeks, chin, and forehead. His face told of many battles against our natural enemy, the Children of the Moon, and that each of them had ended with his victory.</p><p>With one hand keeping his bag of fishing poles upright, and the other rummaging from the top, Goro said, "There's something I want to make clear before we go on."</p><p>What he drew wasn't a fishing pole, but a curved sword rasping from its sheath. Then came a blur of his arm, a flash of steel. A blink of an eye later, the sword had returned to its sheath. I only knew that he had returned it, instead of having the sword sheathed the entire time, because Jane and I winced and clapped hands over the sting in our chests.</p><p>We pulled our hands away and, with utter astonishment, noticed a line of blood stained on our palms.</p><p>"As you might have guessed, that was no ordinary sword," Goro said. "None of my weapons are. Every blade I own is forged from the fangs and claws of jinrō. Or, as you may know them, Children of the Moon."</p><p>Jane and I gaped at him. A chill even colder than the skin of our kind ran down my spine.</p><p>He returned his bag of fishing poles—and of extremely lethal weapons—to his back. "Now do you understand why my weapons training is so dangerous? Why hardly anyone can finish it? Better not play with fire or you'll get burned. But learn to wield it, to make it your own, and you can truly call yourself a warrior."</p><p>"Your skill with that kind of blade is incredible," Jane breathed. "I've never known such speed. I couldn't even follow you drawing it."</p><p>"And your precision..." I said with a shake of my head. "You left only a shallow cut on both of us, both over the same spot." A sloppier, less experienced wielder would have cleaved into us like a butcher's knife through meat.</p><p>"So do you still want me to teach you?" Goro asked. "This is your last chance to back out."</p><p>We threw that chance out the window as we bowed at the waist toward him once more.</p><p>"We want more than ever to learn these techniques from you," Jane said.</p><p>"We would be very honored to become your students," I added.</p><p>Goro considered us for a moment. "I have never taken on two at a time. But I suppose that twins like yourselves insist on doing everything together." His smirk curved some of the scars on his cheeks. "Twin students...this will be quite interesting."</p><p>I supposed that was his way of taking us under his wing. Jane and I straightened from our bows and exchanged a look of silent triumph.</p><p>He was quick to dash our elation to the ground as he went on, "Those verses you had recited to me...they're from <em>The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter</em>. You know why I like them so much?" He leaned toward us and said, "Kaguya, the princess from the moon, didn't want to marry, so she challenged her suitors to bring back five magical items. Items that are impossible to obtain. Many who've sought me out and failed my training describe it as just that: impossible."</p><p>All I could do in the face of his claim was swallow hard. But I did not turn away to go back down the hill, and neither did Jane.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>With Jane and Alec in the land of the rising sun, and the introduction of Goro, the Japan arc/purgatory arc starts from here! As a writer of southeast Asian descent, I'm in my element as we get into Asian fantasy territory, which will span pretty much the rest of this fic. I'll be drawing on influences from wuxia, xianxia, and manga (all of which I dearly love and eat up like candy). I'm very excited to take this story and the twins down this direction. I hope you are, too.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>As we followed Goro deeper into the summit, I was not surprised to behold the absence of a house. Like most vampires, he was nomadic and carried everything he needed on his back. Contrary to my expectations, however, Goro kept no secret forge to build his weapons. But they must have come from somewhere.</p><p>"I was born and turned during the Kofun period," he explained, "so over a thousand years ago. My blades have lasted just as long, without rust or dents. It's a different story if you don't take good care of them. And since I have not had a student in eight hundred years, I have not forged new weapons for that same amount of time."</p><p>"Will that change now, since you have taken us in as students?" I asked.</p><p>Goro belted out a laugh that bounced among the treetops. "Hand you a jinrō blade on the first day of training? No self-respecting teacher would do something so ridiculous." He reached down to pat my head. "No, little one...before you can wield a jinrō blade, you need to earn the right to do so."</p><p>"How will we start, then?" Alec asked.</p><p>Goro led us to a small clearing in the middle of the forest. "To start off, I need to gauge your fighting ability. I want to see your baseline so I'll know where to go from there." He stepped away from us while holding out a hand that told us to stay put. Almost at the other side of the clearing, he turned back around to face us. "Show me what you got."</p><p>Alec and I made sidelong glances. "There's nothing to show," I said dryly. "We have never been trained in physical combat."</p><p>Goro raised a dark, scar-notched eyebrow. "Never? Not even a little bit? Your masters must have at least made you learn basic self-defense."</p><p>"There was no need even for that," Alec replied. "We always used to have bodyguards protecting us."</p><p>"And now," I said, "without protectors, without our powers..."</p><p>"We are terrible at fighting."</p><p>"If you knew how to fight, then you wouldn't have come to me for training in the first place," Goro said. "Enough talk. That shows me nothing. Let us fight."</p><p>I sighed. "I'm telling you, we're terrible."</p><p>"Then show me how terrible you are." Goro slipped into a stance that bent his knees, spread his legs, and had one fist in front of the other. "Come at me one at a time. Oldest goes first."</p><p>That would be me. I slipped off my backpack and, after a pause, removed Seth's necklace. I stepped up to face Goro and tried to mirror his stance.</p><p>"I'll be on the defensive," he said. "I'm not going anywhere. I won't move from this spot at all, not even by a single step. Try to land a punch here." He gestured to his rugged face.</p><p>I tried to draw up memories of how Felix would bring down his opponents. A thousand years of watching him should have paid off. Problem is, I'd been watching with boredom, with not a care in the world. Even if I had given him my full attention, would Felix's fighting style even help here?</p><p>Oh, to hell with it.</p><p>I rushed at Goro and tried to swing a punch past his fists. He bent away without sidestepping. I lashed out again to correct my miss, only for him to block my fist in his palm. He didn't close his own hand to grab me. Instead he let me pull back for another try. And another. And another.</p><p>His palms would slap against my wrists, fists, or forearms, and every possible angle I tried. My onslaught didn't make him budge an inch. I let out a snarl and, while his palms caught both my fists, I lashed out with a sideways kick.</p><p>Amazingly, impossibly, Goro lashed out with his own leg to stop my kick. Our shins connected with a small crack. His leg was much bigger and longer than mine, and the force of his push made my leg swing around to behind me, like the hand of a clock spinning counterclockwise.</p><p>Before I could whirl back around, he slapped a palm in between my shoulders. The blow made me plant facefirst into the ground with a resounding thud. My torso made a shallow indent through the dirt and gravel. Definitely a good idea that I had taken off the necklace.</p><p>Goro's amused voice floated above me. "I said to punch me in the face, little one, not kick me wherever."</p><p>I responded with a small groan as I rolled over on my back. He hadn't injured me badly, but he knocked all the fight out of me. I was too winded and sore to get back up.</p><p>Goro took his attention off me and curled his fingers at Alec. "You next."</p><p>I blinked away dust from my eyes to see Alec torn between studious intensity and fear as he sized up our teacher. Unlike me, my brother approached with deliberate wariness, like someone who was terrified of bugs and had to crush a cockroach with rolled up newspaper.</p><p>Goro beckoned at him again. "Come on, I don't have all day."</p><p>Alec didn't fare any better. Goro cut every blow to the face short with his palms. Finally he caught Alec's punch in mid-swing, and twisted his arm to wrench his whole body around the same way he had with me. Alec let out a small cry of surprise. A palm strike to the back sent him slamming into the ground beside me. He too groaned and rolled on his back, and between us were the shallow craters our torsos had left.</p><p>Goro relaxed his stance and stood over us with arms crossed over his chest. "Amazing," he murmured. "You two really are terrible."</p><p>I had to push on the ground with my hands to sit up. "Told you," I muttered through clenched teeth. I hid a scowl by scrubbing dirt from my face with my sleeve.</p><p>"Jane, you have a short fuse. You don't know where to channel all your energy. Alec, you think too much, so you move too slow and restrain yourself." Goro didn't move to hoist us from the ground. Instead he stood by as Alec and I helped each other up to our feet. "This is why I don't take more than one student. Each person is his or her own basket case of problems that need to be addressed. Now I've got two of you to juggle."</p><p>I bit back another groan as I straightened my throbbing back. I peered up at him with a stubborn tilt of my chin. "Like you had said, my brother and I are in this together."</p><p>"So you either train both of us or you don't train us at all," Alec said.</p><p>Goro's chuckle could easily be mistaken for a cough. "I never said I'd refuse to train you two. Only that this is a first for me as much as it is for you kids, who haven't the slightest clue on how to fight." He nodded at us. "All right, no more sparring. Let's go back to the very basics. Show me how you make a fist, both of you."</p><p>We obliged, and Goro looked at us like we had sprouted a third eye in the middle of our foreheads.</p><p>"You've got to be kidding me. <em>That's</em> how you make a fist? Never <em>ever</em> put your thumb inside your fingers!"</p><p>His scolding outburst had Alec and me correcting the placements of our thumbs in a blink of an eye.</p><p>He planted a palm across his scarred face. "You two really have no clue."</p><p>"Yes, you hammered that into our heads already," I wanted to say, but I bit on my tongue. Smart retorts weren't going to get me and Alec anywhere.</p><p>My brother, on the other hand, directed the meekness and embarrassment in his eyes to his feet.</p><p>Goro turned away and beckoned at us over his shoulder. We followed him out of the clearing, and he led us to a rocky outcrop, where perching oneself on some of the tallest boulders allowed a generous, sweeping view of the countryside of northern Shikoku. We could even see a glimmer of water that marked the coastline.</p><p>He pointed at the rocks. "You two, sit up there and face the sea."</p><p>We obeyed without question. Alec and I found rocks where we could sit beside each other on equal level. We exchanged an inquiring look, as we wondered what Goro had in mind for us this time.</p><p>"Cross your legs, close your eyes, and take in a full breath. In through your nose and out through your mouth, nice and slow."</p><p>I did as instructed, taking in air that I didn't need. Only when my lungs couldn't expand any further, I sighed through my lips. Perfectly synchronized with me, Alec had also completed the motion.</p><p>"What do you smell?" Goro asked.</p><p>"Salt from the sea," Alec said.</p><p>"You and my brother," I said, so we wouldn't miss the obvious.</p><p>"The forest."</p><p>Goro grunted from below us. "A preschooler could tell me that. Breathe in once more. Dig deeper."</p><p>We tried again. I couldn't help blowing out a huff instead of exhaling quietly. "There are many scents that I don't recognize, animals and plants we've never seen before. This place is unfamiliar to us. We should scan the area to get a better idea—"</p><p>"No. Cheating is not allowed."</p><p>My eyes flew open to throw down a glare at Goro. "Then how else are we supposed to know what we're smelling?"</p><p>"Get familiar with the area, then. Keep sitting up there and let the land, sea, and air talk to you. Breathe in what they're trying to tell you. Breathe like a human, like your body demands it." He held up a single finger. "There's only one question to this test: what is the cornerstone of combat? In other words, a fundamental truth of the universe? You two aren't getting down from those rocks until you give me the correct answer."</p><p>Alec had been quiet, though I knew from the linked current between our minds that he shared my confusion and frustration. What did using our noses have to do with fighting? Why do this pointless exercise of playing human? What was the point of all this? How in the world were we going to answer such a huge question Goro had just posed to us?</p><p>The questions swirling in my head threatened to make me erupt like a volcano. I remembered Esme's advice to take deep breaths. Eventually I calmed back down and set my focus into letting the land, sea, and air talk to us...whatever that meant.</p><p>As I kept my eyes closed, I heard the crunch of gravel as Goro stepped away from us.</p><p>"I'm heading down to practice my forms. Take all the time you need to find the answer."</p><p>He seemed like the kind of person who would leave me and Alec up here for weeks, if it had to take that long. I certainly didn't want to sit on these rocks forever. Not when Alec and I would need to feed eventually.</p><p>As I dredged up distant memories of being human, what it was like to need air, my body took on the steady rhythm of mortality. I breathed in and out, without unnatural pauses in between, striving to determine the fundamental truth of the universe through my nose.</p><p>If the practitioners of martial arts, most of them humans, were able to figure out this fundamental truth, then surely vampires could figure it out as well. Beside me, Alec drew himself into a state of deep concentration. It must be easy for him, since he was so calm and centered. I almost envied him for it.</p><p>This kind of prideful thinking wasn't getting me anywhere. I pushed those thoughts aside to focus on the test that I had to complete.</p><p>Goro could have simply told us the answer, but I supposed that in his eyes we wouldn't have truly learned that way. I remembered how he didn't budge to help us up when he had knocked us down. Goro wasn't holding our hands. He wanted us to discover the answer for ourselves.</p><p>Day turned into night, and night once again turned into day. Alec and I didn't move from our perch on the rocks all the while. Sometimes I was tempted to sneak down, to study the sights and sounds of the area, and return to my spot as if I had never left. But Goro would surely know. He'd probably beat me to the ground for that. Thinking of that kept me from rebelling.</p><p>For many hours, it seemed that my nose was being flooded by the same old smells: the sea salt, the trace of rain that had either fallen or was about to fall.</p><p>Rainfall was abundant in Shikoku, so Alec and I had our fair share of getting soaked on the rocks. Because the skies were often overcast, it would take us a while to dry off. If we were human, we would have caught pneumonia a long time ago. Though illness didn't threaten us, I didn't savor the feeling of wet clothes sticking to my skin.</p><p>The sea salt and the rain was a constant presence hanging in the air. Eventually it faded out to a dull curtain. That let me better pick up what peeked through that curtain. Past hunting with the Cullens let me detect the occasional musk of something hairy and warm-blooded rooting through the dirt. One day, that scent came close enough for me and Alec to hear the creature grunting. Some kind of wild pig? Well, picking up on the smell of pig definitely wasn't the answer to Goro's question.</p><p>I continued to breathe in and out, deeply and fully, as if for meditation. The rain, when it fell, had a way of releasing a telltale wave of scents from the earth. Before, I had never stopped to sense and realize that. The rain and earth together, courtesy of a message carried by the wind, told me of a distinct trail that wild pig had left.</p><p>It had been pregnant, and it had been rooting in the dirt for a place to give birth. Days of its search went by. Finally, from its burrow, there came the smell of blood, afterbirth, and a litter of piglets.</p><p>Suddenly that brought me back to the smell of my own blood, from when I had delivered Connor. The tang of blood was so strong on my nose even then, back when I was human. I had expected the reaction of a vampire, of a predator, not sentiment from a distant past. Collision of the past and the present took my breath away.</p><p>I opened my eyes to squint through the mist of a rain shower. My son had left my care too soon, and he had left this world so long ago. A parent shouldn't have to outlive her child, yet here I was. I swallowed down the lump in my throat. Rain on my face felt like tears that I couldn't shed.</p><p>I felt Alec's hand over mine, his silent expression of comfort. I conveyed my gratitude with a small squeeze.</p><p>A day and a night passed, then I picked up something new in the air. Old, rather. The stench of decay. Somewhere in the forest, another wild pig had died, perhaps from old age. But the decay hadn't come from the pig. It came from the vultures that swooped in for the meal. The smell of past scavenging clung to their beaks and feathers, even as they were mere dark specks in the sky. The spill of pig blood came next as the vultures tore into the body.</p><p>Day and night, life and death, rain or no rain, turned like spokes of a wheel. Some force larger than any of us was turning that wheel.</p><p>My eyes flew open. "I know the answer," I said softly.</p><p>I glanced over at my brother, who looked to me like he had reached the same conclusion.</p><p>Goro would check on us from time to time, and when he came up to the rocks at the crack of dawn, we uncrossed our legs and leapt down to meet him.</p><p>"Oh? You've got the answer for me?"</p><p>Alec and I nodded. Goro folded arms over his chest, inclining his head for us to speak.</p><p>"You had given me the hint before we ever began our test," I replied. "It took me a few days on the rocks to realize that. You had told me that I don't know where to channel all my energy. You had told Alec that he, on the other hand, restrains himself. Too much energy, and not enough of it...that's not the proper way to fight, because we're not following the flow of energy in everything around us."</p><p>"When we stop and think about it hard enough, we can feel that flow of energy," Alec said. "We felt the flow in the cycle of the rain, from the the birth and death of wild pigs. It's everywhere, never gone, but changing into all sorts of shapes and sizes. Science can attest to that: energy is neither created nor destroyed, but converted and conserved."</p><p>Goro neither confirmed nor denied our answer. There was no betrayal of anything in his golden eyes, except for unblinking scrutiny. "And what about our kind? We who are cold, frozen things that cannot grow and age? We who cannot live and die naturally? What is our place in the flow of the universe?"</p><p>Again I thought of Connor, how he had lived and died the way I never could. Despite the new challenge Goro gave us, I knew that we were getting somewhere, and I didn't have to rack my brain on the rocks for this. "It's not easy, but our kind can learn to tap into this energy as well."</p><p>Alec carried on my train of thought. "Only by going back in time, to relive our human experience, can we do that. We can find our place in this universe, too."</p><p>"<em>Exactly</em>." Goro clapped huge hands over our small shoulders. "That is the answer."</p><p>Triumph surged through me like a great bird taking flight. Alec and I had passed our first test.</p><p>"Too many of our kind have forgotten about being human," Goro went on. "We lose ourselves that way. Too many look at our human memories and experience as a weakness. I beg to differ. That humanity is the key to our strength." His grip on our shoulders tightened. "Never underestimate the power of the human spirit. Reviving that spirit in us is how we can find our place in the universe. Even the simple act of breathing can take us one step closer to being part of the flow. Perceiving and harnessing that flow of energy is the key to mastering any and all forms of combat. I needed you to understand that. And now that you have, we can begin your training."</p><p>Alec and I couldn't keep from making grins spread across our faces ear to ear. We must have really looked like a pair of kids to him there.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>In a town as sleepy as Forks, summer here could put you in a coma if you couldn't keep yourself busy with things to do.</p><p>The Volturi were gone, Jane and Alec were all the way in Japan, no more danger was lurking around to bother us...this had to be the sleepiest summer ever. Since school was out, I must've taken so many naps that I could make a sloth look like an insomniac.</p><p>At least Jane and Alec got themselves into real exciting stuff. It had been a week since they left, and on that seventh day, Jane sent a message to me and the Cullens from some remote fishing town in Shikoku, saying that she and Alec were training with Goro now.</p><p>I was over the moon for them. If Goro had turned them down, they would have been back here a lot sooner. I wished I could send Jane daily words of encouragement, with the flexed arm emoji after everything I'd say, but she probably couldn't be on her phone very much.</p><p>Already I was looking forward to the next school year. After this summer I would be a junior, and Leah would start college at the University of Arizona. She'd been wanting to leave town and the life she had always known, like getting out of the house to dine at a buffet full of food she had never tried before. I was really happy for her, too. I thought that all the sunshine in Arizona would do her a world of good, make her less moody and down in the dumps.</p><p>Not long after Jane and Alec had left, Leah went on her own soul-searching journey to Antelope Canyon, where she could appreciate the gorgeous southwestern scenery and even make new friends at the Navajo Reservation. She sent me photos every day, her smile as bright as the Arizona sun. She looked more at home out there than she ever had in La Push.</p><p>Meanwhile I stayed behind to keep Mom company, but even then, Charlie would come over often enough so she wouldn't feel lonely without me.</p><p>One day he dropped by the house looking almost as pale as a vampire. "Hey Sue, Seth, can I talk to you about something?"</p><p>We sat with him at the dining table, and Mom and I traded a knowing look. We had a good idea of what this would be about, why Charlie looked kind of rattled.</p><p>He started and stopped several times, like when you couldn't get the ignition in your car running and it kept sputtering. "So, um...well, er, Bella stopped by my house the other day and told me all sorts of stuff...about what happened to her, about the Cullens, about La Push. About a whole world I had no idea was right under my nose."</p><p>"She told you everything, didn't she?" Mom prompted gently.</p><p>Charlie made a small nod. "It's...it's a lot to take in."</p><p>"I understand," I told him. "I've been there before."</p><p>He gave me the kind of look you'd give to a friend you knew real well, who just went and got the wildest haircut, one that made that friend unrecognizable. "Seth...you're like Jake, right? You can turn into an animal?"</p><p>I tried to drop the truth as gently as you'd try to drop a bomb. It'd blow up with a big bang, anyway. "Yeah," I said. "A wolf, just like him. Leah's a wolf, too. Our first day as wolves was the same day my dad died."</p><p>Charlie turned in his lips to a thin line and knitted his brow. "Oh, kid, I'm so sorry. That must've been rough."</p><p>"It was a big change, for sure. It turned my life upside down." I managed to smile at him, even with a huge lump in my throat. "I tried to make the best of it. I actually like being part of the pack."</p><p>"You get to kind of do my job, from the sound of it," said the coolest cop I knew. "You have to guard your territory, keep it safe, and all that?"</p><p>"Yeah, but we don't have to worry about the Cullens. They're chill. And you don't have to worry about them, either."</p><p>"Thank God." Charlie pressed a palm over his face and pulled it down his cheek. "Of all the...the vampires out there...I'm glad to first know the nicest of them."</p><p>I agreed with his sentiment wholeheartedly. Then I said, "I guess I can spill the beans about having a girlfriend now. She's one of them, too. A vampire, I mean."</p><p>Charlie's eyebrows jumped and he blinked a few times. "Well, congratulations, then. Is she your age?"</p><p>"Yes and no. She looks fifteen, like me, but she's actually more than a thousand years old."</p><p>He leaned back slowly in his chair to stare up at the light hanging over the dinner table. Then he leaned forward to prop his elbows on the tabletop and massage his temples. "How about that," he finally said. "And I thought Edward was old."</p><p>I laughed. "Some of these vampires have been around for a long-ass time. It's mind-blowing."</p><p>"Yeah, I think that's about as much as I can take before my head actually explodes." Charlie got up and headed over to the living room. "Mind if I crash in the couch?"</p><p>"Be my guest," Mom said with a smile. "You look like you could lie down for a while after all that."</p><p>It felt good to have Charlie know about everything now. With the Volturi gone, we didn't have to worry about his life being in danger. He also seemed to understand that everything that had been revealed to him was because he could be entrusted with that knowledge. It'd probably do more harm than good if he ratted us out to his fellow cops, or anyone else, for that matter.</p><p>Whenever I got out of the house to run around as a wolf, it wasn't so much for patrolling anymore, but more to just enjoy the wind through my fur. Jake accompanied me sometimes, and beat me in races like usual, but most of the time I was content with loping through the forest on my own.</p><p>Later that evening, after Charlie left our house, I went out for one of those solo sprints. It was new moon tonight. No moonlight lit the way, but my eyes could pierce through the dark well enough for me to run around with no problem.</p><p>I headed for the cliffs, to really feel the pull and tug of the wind, when a light flickered from the corner of my eye. My paws dug into the dirt as I stopped myself. I whirled around to my right. There, between the big old fir trees, stood a pale blue horse around my height. I could see the lit-up shrubs through its body. Its mane and tail fluttered in the wind like flames. Its whole body looked like it was wreathed in fire, the hottest kind of fire. How long had it been there? How long had it been watching me?</p><p>We didn't meet eyes, because the horse didn't have any. But as soon as I laid eyes on it, it swung around to leap into the forest.</p><p>I took off after the horse. <em>Hey, wait</em>, I called after it. <em>What are you?</em></p><p>I wasn't sure if it could understand me. Maybe it thought I was hunting it down, so I kept shouting after it, promising that I wouldn't hurt it. The horse didn't stop. Its hooves made no sound on the dirt or the roots. It cantered with a fluid, weightless grace that I could barely follow. It left no burning trail in its path. I couldn't even smell the horse, or whatever it was. Only my eyes gave me proof of its existence.</p><p>For about ten seconds I pursued it, then it vanished into thin air. I stopped and let out a confused yip. I spun in place, but the horse was nowhere to be found. Was I seeing things? Was it a hallucination, or a ghost? A friend or a foe? I wasn't getting any of those answers tonight.</p><p>Though it looked to me like a horse of fire, it gave off no warmth like the Cullens did. A shiver ran down my spine as I turned to run back home.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I just thought it'd be hilarious to have Jane and Alec finally confronting how much they suck at fighting without their powers (and learn from a proper teacher to correct that weakness).</p><p>I won't namedrop it until later, but those who really know their vampire-related lore will know what the blue horse is.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>Goro rewarded us for our correct answer by going out hunting for our meal. Minutes later, he reascended the peak carrying a boar slung over each shoulder. He dropped one at our feet for each of us.</p><p>"Drink up," he said. "Next time you hunt for yourselves."</p><p>Alec frowned. "We have to drink straight out of the boar?"</p><p>Goro laughed. "Oh, I see. You were hoping for a gradual adjustment from human to animal blood. Clearly Carlisle has been going real easy on you kids. He's far too nice. Well, I won't be as lenient."</p><p>We should have known that training with Goro would involve a strict diet regimen. At least I had a brief time easing into the transition, unlike Alec. I cast him a sympathetic look.</p><p>Could Goro not bring us bags of human blood? "Carlisle said you were a doctor, just like him," I said.</p><p>"No, not quite," our teacher replied. "He became a doctor for <em>human</em> patients."</p><p>His implication spiraled us into further confusion.</p><p>"How can you be a doctor for our kind?" Alec asked. "We've never needed medicine and healing."</p><p>Goro cracked a grin. "Your idea of a doctor is too narrow in scope. Doctors can do much more than that. There's rehabilitation and counseling, both of which I've honed and developed specifically for our kind. Over the years I've helped many patients embrace a diet of animal blood and coexist with humans without hurting them. That's how Carlisle came to me in the first place. You could call him my disciple of sorts. After he left Japan, he went on to spread that way of life to his family and friends." He settled down to sit cross-legged across from us. "Carlisle's a good man, but like I said, kind to a fault. There will be no training wheels with me." He pushed the boars closer to us. "Enough talk," he said gruffly. "Come on, you two are like kids trying not to eat their broccoli."</p><p>Alec and I lowered ourselves to our knees, and I tried not to pull a face as I sank my teeth into the boar's flesh. I could taste the untamed forest, the sea salt, and remnants of rainfall in its blood. Nowhere near as satisfying as human blood, but it would have to do.</p><p>Goro didn't budge from his spot until we had totally drained our meals. Commitments weren't made halfway. We would have to adhere to Goro's standards that demanded the utmost dedication. At least with animal prey, we didn't have to bury them to hide any evidence. We were told to leave the rest to other animals that would find value in the meat.</p><p>"Now, about your training," Goro said next. "Before we even begin swinging around fists and feet, you're going to need proper clothes: keikogi, clothes for combat. Not whatever you kids wear these days."</p><p>Alec and I glanced down at our shirts and jeans.</p><p>"You'll need a top and pants—a white kimono and a black hakama. A good, sturdy kimono costs 19,500 yen, and a hakama of similar quality costs 14,500 yen. You'll need two sets."</p><p>"So 68,000 yen in total," I said. "Where will we get this money?"</p><p>"You need to earn it, of course. You think I'd take you in as students and just hand you everything on a silver platter?" Goro squinted at us. "The Volturi have pampered you two for far too long. You look like you've never worked a day in your lives. Well, the Volturi's reign has ended, and your days as prince and princess are over. It's time for you to learn about a day's worth of honest, hard work."</p><p>"What kind of work will we have to do?" Alec asked.</p><p>"Well, you two came and interrupted my fishing. I sell what I fish, so now that you two are onboard, you're going to help me make sales." Goro had us follow him down the valley and into the town where we had found him. He whistled the whole way down, the nets and bag of fishing poles thumping against his back with every step. Alec and I were less than enthusiastic.</p><p>"Tachiuo is in season," Goro said. "It's a summer fish that the locals love to eat up. I'll catch them, and you two cut them into nice little pieces. I sell each bundle for 500 yen."</p><p>I wanted to groan in dismay. "We need to cut at least 136 fish to make 68,500 yen."</p><p>"Not just cut them. Cut them in the way that I see fit."</p><p>In other words, cut them to perfection. Brilliant.</p><p>We had come into town at the crack of dawn, when most of the locals were still asleep. Goro stopped at the pier where we had met him. He slung the net back over his shoulder to prepare it for casting. "What's your experience with fishing?"</p><p>"Very limited," I replied. For me, anyway, thanks to spending time with Seth and his mother. As for Alec, he had none. We had grown up in an English village far away from the coast. Our family never had to fish. If we ever got our hands on them, they'd be whole and dried, bought off the street market.</p><p>I had only seen Seth and Sue fish with lines and rods. Goro used a net for today's catch. He flung it at a distance beyond humanely possible, then pulled in enough fish with combined weight that could break a human's back.</p><p>Alec and I nimbly stepped out of the way as Goro dumped the full, writhing net onto the deck. Tachiuo were long and slender, like living arrows, at least as long as my arm. Their silver scales gleamed dully under an overcast dawn.</p><p>Goro handed us blunt blocks of wood from his bag of fishing poles. "Get cracking. Aim for the head."</p><p>He demonstrated by grasping a fish by its dorsal fin and striking its head with the block. Only then it stopped flopping. Alec and I put on our game faces and went about bludgeoning the fish to death. If done right, it should take just one decisive blow. As my brother and I found out, however, fish were very slippery things. Many times they squirmed out of our grips, because we were too overcome with distaste to grab onto them properly. It took me about twenty fish to get a good grip on them. Any blow outside the head meant that the fish had to be thrown out. The meat should be untouched.</p><p>By the time we finished killing the tachiuo, I estimated that Goro had caught around three hundred of them. But killing them was just the beginning. Goro hauled his catch into the street market, not giving me and Alec time to wipe our hands clean. The fishy smell and slime stuck to our fingers, and I wanted so badly to rub them off.</p><p>Vendors were starting to take their places in the market, and though they cordially greeted Goro, they didn't hide their stares at me and Alec as we made our way through.</p><p>Apparently Goro would cut and sell fish between a woman selling giant crab legs and a man selling octopi, with their tentacles pulled back to resemble flowers in full bloom. Goro motioned for us to sit beside him, so we could face a cutting block that looked like a tree stump. Years of spilt fish blood had left a dark stain on the top.</p><p>"This is where your training comes in," he said. "Since you two never had to cut a fish, and you want to handle jinrō blades, you've got to start with knowing how to use the most basic cutting tool: a knife." He pulled out a set of them from his bag. "They say there's more than one way to skin a cat. There's certainly more than one way to cut a fish. Watch and learn first."</p><p>Goro laid the first tachiuo on the cutting block, then proceeded to break down the fish in deft, methodical movements. He stripped the fish of its scales and fins, cut into its belly to pull out the entrails, then removed the head. With well-placed, confident cuts, he sectioned off the fish into pieces that someone could buy.</p><p>Alec and I exchanged a look. <em>Easy enough</em>, we silently said to each other.</p><p>But with the second tachiuo, Goro showed off his true colors as a seasoned fisherman. His knife moved in a blur all around and through the fish. With the third tachiuo, he repeated the entire process with his eyes closed, with equal swiftness and precision as the second time.</p><p>He opened his eyes and met our disbelieving faces with a nod. "I want you to get that good. Get to know the knife and the fish so well that you can cut with your eyes closed." He laid out the next fish on the block. "All right, eyes open this time, and make sure you do each step correctly. You first, little one."</p><p>I shuffled over to take Goro's place and take the knife from him. When I became a vampire, a living weapon, I had become a knife of sorts. I could cut deep into victims without spilling blood or even touching them.</p><p>This, however, was the first time that I had ever held a real knife.</p><p>That made me stare at the fish on the block the way it'd been staring at me: wide-eyed, unblinking, looking past rather than really looking.</p><p>Goro's command snapped me out of the trance. "Get cracking, little one. Get cutting."</p><p>He had made it look so easy, so effortless. My own attempt started off with the grace of a caveman with a club. Some of the scales that went flying got in between my fingers and on my palms. Disgusting. I wanted to chop off my hands. The worst part was pulling out the entrails.</p><p>"Don't be shy," Goro said. "Really dig in there."</p><p>I couldn't fight back a shudder as I groped inside the fish's belly, grasping at the slimy, soft curls of viscera. Vampires may only feed on blood, but most of us weren't messy eaters. Most of us never had to pull out the guts of our prey to get what we need. Humans, however, made disemboweling their meat a prerequisite for consumption. And they called <em>us </em>monsters.</p><p>Goro had me cut up fish after fish, and my botched attempts grew into a messy pile. He had me sit before that block for hours. Finally, when I could do a decent job, without Goro pointing out my mistakes, it was Alec's turn.</p><p>Perhaps my brother had the benefit of watching me beforehand, and more likely because he lacked my impatience, his attempts at cutting went by smoother than mine. He wasn't without flaws, though, since he had also never handled a knife in his life until now.</p><p>"You need to pick up the pace," Goro told him. "Those cuts are fine and all, but at the rate you're going, we'd be here till the end of the day, with most of the fish sitting here and stinking to high heaven."</p><p>Just like in our brief, one-sided spar with Goro on the hill, Alec and I had our own kinks to smooth out here. Only the fish Goro had cut up for demonstration, and the rest of the catch, were being sold today. Everything that my brother and I had touched were merely inedible fodder for practice.</p><p>His clientele, locals in simple summer shirts and conical rain hats, couldn't hide their curiosity of us.</p><p>"They're kids of a friend of mine," Goro would tell them. "I'm just giving them a taste of life out here."</p><p>"Not what these white kids are used to, I bet," a customer said to Goro with a gap-toothed grin.</p><p>I gave the old man a small, tight-lipped grin of my own. "You have no idea."</p><p>The locals always reacted with gawking, stammering surprise that Alec and I could understand and speak Japanese. That surprise quickly wore off and warmed up as the day went on.</p><p>"Ganbatte! Do your best!" was the most frequent send-off for me and Alec.</p><p>"Friendly folk, aren't they?" Goro said to us. "Sure, they get spooked easily and have their small town superstitions, but they take a real shine to you once they get to know you."</p><p>He didn't take card payments. On account of our dirty hands, money was dropped into a basket instead of being given directly to us. While Goro cut fish and earned money for them, Alec had the stealthy audacity to try picking off some yen behind his back. That earned him a rap on the back of his hand from the hilt of Goro's knife.</p><p>"You think I wouldn't see that?" Our teacher barked out a laugh at the thought.</p><p>Alec ruefully rubbed his hand in silence. His bold attempt didn't surprise me in the least. When we were in the Volturi, he would be the one to strike without warning. Apparently his attempt hadn't surprised Goro, either.</p><p>Goro worked until sundown. After that he packed up his nets and fishing poles, and we hiked back up the hill with him. Alec and I finally got to wash our hands in the valley river. I tried, but failed, to wash off the disappointment along with the fish slime.</p><p>Goro clapped a hand on each of our shoulders, nearly knocking us over into the river. "Well, prince and princess of the Volturi? How was your first day of getting your hands dirty?"</p><p>"All that work and we made no money today," I grumbled.</p><p>"I sell only the best to my customers. Your customers, now. You give people their money's worth. We'll be back down there catching and cutting again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, till you make enough money to buy your own clothes."</p><p>Great, we'd toil in the brine and the fish muck like servants. I bit back a groan, then my gaze fell on the necklace Seth had given me. Leaning over the river made the wood-carved wolf's head hang directly in my line of sight. I cradled it in my fingers for a few silent moments.</p><p>I straightened up and shook my hands dry. I set my jaw and glared up at the vine bridge we were about to cross. If that was how Alec and I would get further with training, then we will have to become the best bloody fish cutters on this side of Shikoku.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>Running into that weird blue horse really got my ears pricked. Since that night, I spent more time in the body of a wolf, prowling through La Push and hoping to catch sight of it again.</p><p>I saw the horse again three days later, after the sun went down. I had never been able to notice it in the daylight. Maybe it only came out once the sun set, like most weird things that go bump in the night. Like the first time, it bolted away from me and disappeared before I could catch it.</p><p>The blue horse showed up for the third time the next week, also at night. This time I didn't try to chase after it. I kept it in my peripheral vision, pretending to go about my business and looking like I didn't notice it.</p><p>Its hooves made no sound on the forest floor. Even on a night with hardly any wind, its mane and tail billowed from it like a disturbed fire. If I could touch it, would I get burned? Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go running after it, after all.</p><p>My nightly runs to go horsewatching made me sleep during the day. I didn't have school, and hardly anything was happening around here, so Mom didn't get on my case about it. One evening, before I set out for my run, I asked her if she knew anything about blue ghost horses.</p><p>"Do we have any mention of that in our tribal stories?" I asked. "Is it some obscure secret? Because I don't remember hearing anything about that over our bonfires."</p><p>Mom fixed her gaze to the ceiling, deep in thought, then she shook her head. "There's nothing in Quileute legends about a ghost horse." She met my eyes and a knowing smile spread across her face. "Has that been keeping you up all night?"</p><p>"Yeah," I admitted. "I'm not kidding, Mom, one night it just popped up in the forest. It always runs away from me. I don't know where it came from, why it's here, what it would want with us."</p><p>Mom pursed her lips. "Well, if this horse hasn't gone out of its way to harm you yet, then it's no concern to me."</p><p>"Can you ask the other elders about it?"</p><p>She patted my hand. "Sure thing, sweetheart. Though I can't promise that I'll get back to you with any answers."</p><p>A week later, on the day that Leah got back from her Antelope Canyon trip, I had to tell her about the weird ghost horse, too.</p><p>"Look, I feel bad for roping you into this after a nice vacation, but you've got to check it out," I told her.</p><p>As she emptied her hiking backpack, the kind that let you put a water bladder inside, she gave me a look of concern. "I hope this isn't the prion thing coming back to haunt you, messing with your head."</p><p>"I hope not, either," I said firmly. "That's why you have to come with me tonight. I need to know that I'm not the only one able to see it."</p><p>After unpacking the millionth energy bar, she sighed. "All right, I'll go. I gotta admit that you got me kind of curious."</p><p>We took off from the house on all fours after sunset.</p><p><em>This thing's fast</em>, I warned her. <em>I don't know if it'll hurt you if you touch it or not.</em></p><p><em>Only one way to find out</em>, she said, and I heard a trace of excitement tinging her thoughts. Being fast was the only thing she liked about being a wolf.</p><p>I led her along the cliffs, where the horse liked to show up. The moonlight gave Leah's grey fur a silver-ish halo.</p><p>She swiveled her head around and squinted. <em>Nothing yet.</em></p><p>
  <em>Wait for it.</em>
</p><p>No sooner had the thought left my mind, there was a flash of pale blue out of the corner of my eye.</p><p><em>There, on my left</em>, I said softly. <em>No sudden movements.</em></p><p>Leah did as she was told, and her eyes widened. <em>Holy shit.</em></p><p>
  <em>See? It's real.</em>
</p><p>We stood there in disbelief as the horse wove through the trees in a slow, pondering way. Its long neck craned down toward the grass, but not to chew on it. The mane would have been hanging down on a normal horse, but it still rippled back as if being pulled by an invisible wind.</p><p>Leah kept her thoughts to an inward whisper. <em>You think it can hear us?</em></p><p><em>No clue</em>, I whispered back. <em>It never listens to me when I tell it to stop.</em> I raised my voice a bit and tried to extend courtesy to the horse. <em>Hello, again. I have my sister with me. We just want to talk—</em></p><p>I never got to finish. The horse sprinted away from us, triggering Leah's instinct to chase it down.</p><p><em>Hey!</em> she called after it. <em>My brother wasn't done talking to you!</em></p><p>The horse leapt through the shrubs and ducked around tree trunks, as if it hadn't heard her, either. Leah took off in dogged pursuit, and I did my best to keep up with her.</p><p>Like all those times before, the pale blue horse had a weightless grace unlike anything I had ever seen. It made even vampires look like clomping cavemen. The horse ran right for a big cedar trunk, and to my amazement, it ran right up for two steps before bounding off the trunk to soar over our heads.</p><p>Right at its flame-like tail, Leah couldn't stop herself in time. She slammed into the trunk with a loud, leaf-shaking thud. I heard her swear above the crash.</p><p>I bounded over to her fallen form. <em>Leah, you okay?</em></p><p>She staggered to her paws, shook her coat, and pawed at her nose. <em>That's gonna hurt in the morning</em>, she growled.</p><p>We never heard the horse land after its spectacular leap. When our gazes flitted over to where it would've landed, it was gone. We slunk back home with more questions than answers, and with Leah sporting a really sore nose. Mom checked on her the next morning, and fortunately it wasn't broken.</p><p>I wondered if vampires would know anything about this ghost horse. Of all the vampires in my circle of friends, Jane had been around the longest. Maybe she'd know something. I mean, the girl spoke ten something languages and had <em>The Aeneid </em>memorized front to back. If someone had any idea about the ghost horse, it would have to be my very long-lived and knowledgable vampire girlfriend.</p><p>The problem was getting a quick response from her. She had to contend with a different time zone, finding Wi-Fi abroad, not to mention finding free time while going through boot camp run by a vampire sensei.</p><p>I sent her a message through Facebook, anyway. "Hey, hope things are going well in Japan," I said. "So, no joke: I started seeing this blue horse running around at night in La Push. Looks like a ghost or a spirit on fire. Know anything about it?" No way I could send her photos to back up what I was saying. She would just have to take my word for it.</p><p>Amazingly enough, Jane responded the next day. Her reply popped up beside her profile pic, which was the photo I had taken of her with her first fish. "Hello, Seth. I regret to tell you that my brother and I are not aware of any myths or folklore surrounding a blue ghost horse."</p><p>My heart sunk at that, but I had to smile at the way she replied. So formal and professional, even through texting. I made a mental note not to say shorthand stuff like "lol" or "btw," otherwise she probably wouldn't get it. Then there came the pop-up saying she was typing. I sat up straighter in my bed.</p><p>Her next message was "Have things at home been otherwise all right? Are you staying safe and well?"</p><p>"Doing great, thanks for asking," I said back. "It's quiet here. Almost too quiet. How's training with Goro?"</p><p>"So far we learned how to breathe and how to cut fish. Riveting stuff."</p><p>That made me chuckle. I could hear her dry, flat tone even through that. "There must be a good reason for those," I replied.</p><p>"In all seriousness, you're right," she said.</p><p>I was about to send her a joking comment that I had seen enough kung fu movies and anime to know that martial arts teachers like to hide profound lessons under stuff that seemed useless or silly.</p><p>Then Jane typed, "My apologies, but I must go to work. Good-bye for now."</p><p>"OK, talk to you later," I said. "So good to hear from you." Then I added "Love you!"</p><p>She was able to squeeze in "I love you, too" before she went silent.</p><p>Jane and Alec had work now. Interesting. I stretched out on my bed, leaning against the pillows to stare up at the ceiling. I loved hearing from Jane, but too bad that even she didn't know anything about this blue ghost horse. The mystery of it still hung over me, like something that was too high for me to jump up and catch.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Alec</strong>
</p><p>Desensitization was a slow, steady process. I knew that better than anyone even now, when I no longer possessed my deadly gift of sensory deprivation.</p><p>Getting used to something, anything, didn't happen overnight. It took me and Jane many days of toiling at the pier, in the street market, to no longer recoil at the feel and smell of fish. It took us just as long to hone our fish-cutting techniques.</p><p>Goro bore down harder on us since that first day of demonstrations. If either of us slipped up on any step in the process, that fish had to be chucked out, and we had to start all over. Everything could be fine up to the second to last step, but if Jane or I bungled that step, then it was back to square one.</p><p>A frustrating and thankless task, certainly, but that pushed us more than ever to learn from our mistakes and improve. The first time I had ever held a knife, it felt strange and foreign in my hand. Now my grip on it fit like a glove. Going through the motions of cutting with it became a comfortable, assuring routine. Not every stroke and slice was made equal.</p><p>"Get a feel for when you need to put some backbone into it, but also know when you need to hold back," Goro told us. "Tap into that ebb and flow in energy."</p><p>Sensitization worked as slowly and steadily as its counterpart, desensitization. Eventually I understood what he meant. So did Jane. It took us a few days to get acquainted with not just the feel of the fish and the knife, but how our own bodies moved. Going through the process felt like being a newborn vampire again. Newborns had to learn the limits of their strength, because it was much easier to overestimate that strength than underestimate it.</p><p>When Jane and I could complete the entire process of cutting a fish for sale, we shared a silent moment of celebration. Goro cut that short, of course. Next we had to learn how to do it all with our eyes closed.</p><p>Goro would tie strips of cloth over our eyes, and the fabric was thick enough that even our enhanced sight couldn't see through the stitching.</p><p>Goro became a voice hovering beside us. "Remember what I said about getting a feel for the fish? I really meant it. Here's where that comes in."</p><p>With our sight out of the picture, we had to rely more on our sense of touch. We also had to rely on hours of familiarizing ourselves with the knife and fish. I felt like I'd been cutting so many tachiuo that by now, with my hand, I could tell where it began and ended, from its arrow-like head to its tapered tail.</p><p>I could hear customers and passerby gathering around us, abuzz with excitement and curiosity. If my heart could still beat, it would drum against my chest.</p><p>Keep calm, I told myself. I knew this knife in my hand. I knew this fish that I was going to cut.</p><p>Every stroke of the knife was like the beat in a song. Jane and I followed the rhythm we made together, seamless and synchronized even while blindfolded. I tuned out the crowd around us, focusing only on the crude symphony our knives made: the crackle of scales being stripped off, the <em>thok</em> of steel on wood as we chopped off the fins, the muted thud of a knife's edge cleaving into meat of the fish.</p><p>Our performance ended with a rousing applause. That told me and Jane that we had succeeded, even before we pulled off our blindfolds to look down at our work.</p><p>"Well done, kids," many of the locals said over their clapping hands.</p><p>We looked over at Goro, who said nothing but nodded in approval. Our chore had turned into another test, and that test dissolved into good old-fashioned fun as my sister and I competed to see who could cut and sell the most fish.</p><p>Jane even started to sing as she went about cutting, timing the strokes of the knife with whatever melody she had to get out of her head. Customers would gather to enjoy her singing as much as they wanted their usual fish. They even paid extra for her vocal talent.</p><p>Our daily trips to work at the pier and the market made us strike up friendly relations with Goro's most loyal customers. Jane and I got to the point that we knew what kind of cuts and how much fish each of them wanted, without them having to tell us.</p><p>I was not one for small talk, but the customers seemed to appreciate that I was a good listener. They'd talk about the weather, their families, and the latest town gossip as I cut fish the way they always wanted them. Elderly humans especially loved to gossip. They seemed to have nothing else better to do.</p><p>Interacting with Goro's clientele gave me another valuable lesson: the importance of being a service to others. How could Jane and I talk of protecting those vulnerable to the worst of our kind if we didn't know who we'd be protecting? Lowering ourselves to the humble task of cutting and selling fish to locals helped us open our eyes.</p><p>And it helped that we happened to be on the land of some of the most polite people in the world. The locals' constant, unwavering politeness and respect toward us reinforced the fondness we had grown for them. They always thanked me and Jane for our time and presence, and always thanked us with a small bow. A far cry from how our village in England had treated us.</p><p>Next to me, Jane let out the longest, most earnest peal of laughter I had ever heard from her. Startled from my thoughts, I looked over to where an elderly woman was leaning toward my sister.</p><p>"You are such a pretty girl," the woman had said. "Smart and hard-working, too. I have to introduce you to my grandson."</p><p>Jane had been holding back a smile. "I'm very flattered, thank you, but I'm sorry...I'm already with someone else." With her clean wrist, she had propped up the wolf's head at the end of her necklace.</p><p>It was the way the poor old woman's face had fallen with pouting, wrinkled disappointment that had made Jane laugh so hard. My sister apologized again, then handed out the fish she had cut as consolation.</p><p>"Watch out for those old matchmakers," I teased her. "Even in this backwater town, you're not safe."</p><p>"That woman looked like I had broken her heart more than I would've broken her grandson's." Jane smiled to herself and shook her head before cutting into the next tachiuo.</p><p>Finally, she and I sold at least 136 fish, enough to buy the keikogi we needed. We carried our bags of yen into the tailor's shop like they were the most precious gold. For the first time in our lives, we had put our backs into honest, hard work, and made our own money. It may not be much in the grand scheme of things, but it was still a big step forward.</p><p>Goro accompanied us to the tailor's shop, to make sure that we didn't waste our money on buying the wrong clothes. Jane and I returned to the hill with Goro clad in our new kimono and hakama, looking like proper students. Unlike the weighted, decorative Volturi robes we once wore, the loose folds of keikogi made me feel lighter, like I could become one with the wind if I moved with it.</p><p>"Now that's more like it," Goro said as he surveyed our new looks. "Congratulations on getting what you've worked for. I expect you to keep that up if you want to get your hands on a couple of jinrō blades."</p><p>Jane and I shared a resolute nod, knowing well by now that hard work didn't stop here.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You wanna know how many Japanese fish cutting videos I watched on YouTube, just to write this chapter? Way too many.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>Since donning the keikogi, we stopped coming down the hill in order to immerse ourselves in kata—forms, a set series of movements meant to be practiced alone before we could trade blows with each other.</p><p>Goro worked me and Alec from sunrise to sundown, having us spend hours upon hours of striking the air with our fists and feet. He had us start from square one, since we had shown that we didn't even know how to make a proper fist. We'd spend half a day just showing him the proper way to punch and kick. We strived to imitate the grace, flow, and power of his movements. He made fighting look like a dance, and as we gradually advanced to more complex forms, we struggled to follow the intricacies of the choreography.</p><p>"Don't forget to breathe," he would often remind us. "Let the rhythm of breathing in and out accompany every move you make. Throw away the thought that it isn't necessary. Make it more than a habit. Make it your way of life."</p><p>We were wrong to think that breathing would end with the test on the rocks. As long as we were training with Goro, we would always have to breathe. We quickly learned, however, that kata didn't just require the cycle of quiet breathing. It demanded the use of kiai as well. Shouting to punctuate our moves wasn't just for show.</p><p>"Are we really going to shout like this every time we try to hit someone?" Alec asked.</p><p>Goro chuckled at that. "No, but it's to help you sense and direct your energy. The 'ki' in kiai means energy, after all, like chi in Chinese. Come on, put some more oomph into it. I can barely hear you most of the time."</p><p>The volume he expected from us didn't come easily to Alec. He had always been quiet and reserved. In all my time I've known my twin brother, only once had I heard him let out a raw, full-throated scream: when we had burned at the stake. Since that night, he carried himself like a wraith, as muted and unassuming as the gift he once possessed. He would prefer spending time alone in a library, where he didn't have to talk to anyone for hours. Now Goro was forcing my brother out of the shell he'd been hiding behind for so long. It certainly pulled him out of his comfort zone.</p><p>He would bear down on Alec, like any teacher with a problem student, and wouldn't dismiss him from kata hours until Alec could perform them with the right amount of gusto.</p><p>As for me, I had my fair share of problems as well. Impatience and my short temper would be my undoing. It seemed like Goro had an endless number of techniques for us to memorize, and that was just for hand-to-hand combat.</p><p>After about a hundred kata, I just had to ask if there was any end in sight. "When do we get to the swords?"</p><p>"When you're ready," Goro replied. "And you're far from ready, little one."</p><p>I straightened up from the last stance of the hundredth kata and frowned at him. "At least we're ready to trade blows, aren't we?"</p><p>Goro grunted. "No, not even that."</p><p>Out of impulse, and out of stupidity in hindsight, I threw myself at him. Armed with the knowledge of the past hundred kata, I felt much more equipped compared to the last time I swung a fist at him. Like the sun bringing down the wax wings of Icarus, Goro soundly put me in my place. He deflected every blow of mine, and I could only get in three before he landed a kick square in my midriff. That sent me skidding halfway across the clearing. I rolled to a stop, getting dirt and dust all over myself.</p><p>Alec rushed over to help me up. "Sister, your claw wound—"</p><p>"It's all right." To prove that, I straightened myself from a pained slouch.</p><p>Goro crossed his big arms and aimed a jaunty grin at me. "I see you've thrown in a mix of the 22nd, 30th, and 45th kata. A valiant effort, little one, but it'll take more than that to get the best of me. What I just dealt you was the 800th kata."</p><p>Alec and I peered at him with disbelief. "800th?"</p><p>"The umbrella of Eastern martial arts is a very big one—impossible for a human to cover in their limited lifespan, but not so for our kind. Shaolin kung fu, karate, jiu-jitsu, vovinam, tae kwon do, silat, and so on...I will be teaching you everything I've learned over the past one thousand years. And if you really put your backs into it, day in and day out, you will learn them all."</p><p>Alec and I exchanged somber looks and tightened jaws. What Goro had said struck us like a boulder that had fallen off a cliff and onto our heads. My hand curled into a fist at my side. If learning every kind of martial art was what it took to be among the strongest vampires in the world, then so be it. Alec and I would live and breathe fighting like we never had before. Like most of our kind never had, really.</p><p>Goro told us that a weapon like a sword or a spear, if handled right, served as an extension of our bodies. In order to move on to mastering weapons, we had to master our own bodies first. I had been such a fool to think that I'd be ready for the sword after a mere one hundred kata.</p><p>As if getting an umbrella of martial arts tucked under our belts wasn't hard enough, sometimes we practiced and toiled under the strain of fasting. Vampires couldn't die from thirst alone, but the burn at the back of our throats could make us lose our focus, our control and, in extreme cases, our sanity.</p><p>When Goro first subjected us to fasting during kata practice, Alec and I underwent a noticeably steep drop in performance. Our movements became imbalanced, uneven, aggressive. Thirst made us testy.</p><p>Goro circled us like a wolf as Alec and I practiced kata in the center of the clearing. He could catch us in case we tried to make a break for it, to run off for a hunt. The skin under his own eyes was as bruised and dark as ours, yet he kept a smooth stride with hands behind his back, as if the thirst never fazed him.</p><p>"Push yourselves to the limit," he said. "Now's the best time to harness discipline. Fight against your instincts. Don't let them break your form."</p><p>Alec was better about restraining himself, but times like this made me the problem student once more.</p><p>"You're putting too much power in your moves," Goro told me. "That excess disrupts the flow of energy within you. Focus and bring yourself back to the flow, little one."</p><p>As I struggled to temper my movements, the aggression redirected itself from my fists and feet and right out through my mouth, before I could stop myself. "You know, I hate it when you call me little," I growled.</p><p>At the face of weeks of pent-up resentment, Goro merely shrugged. "You're not only the smallest vampire I had ever trained, but the smallest one I had ever seen." He cracked a gleeful grin and held up his pinched thumb and index finger, the ends almost meeting. "You are just so <em>tiny.</em>" His voice actually raised to an absurd pitch at "tiny."</p><p>I snapped. I broke form to lunge at him with a snarl. I didn't even draw from any style of martial arts. I just swung my clawed hand at him like a crazed animal. Of course Goro caught my arm with ease, and he flung me to the ground like I weighed nothing.</p><p>I pulled off a kip-up that had me spring back to my feet. I growled through clenched teeth, with nostrils flared. Alec ran over to grip me by my upper arm, keeping me from storming up to Goro.</p><p>"Don't let him goad you," my brother said softly into my ear. "It's just part of the training."</p><p>On better days, I remembered that. To a large, imposing man like Goro, everyone was little by comparison, but he targeted only me for the name-calling. My short fuse was something he wanted me to rectify. The only way to correct it was to let the pointed teasing flow past me, like a river over a stone. Needless to say, I hadn't reached that point yet.</p><p>Alec's steadfast presence and hold on me put a check to most of my rage. He let go when I stopped showing my teeth to Goro.</p><p>Our teacher flicked his fingers at us, like shooing away a fly. "Go on, now. Back to practice. You haven't finished yet."</p><p>Only when we pulled ourselves together, drawing on every ounce of focus and control, did we complete the set without further problems. Only then were we allowed to hunt. When Goro set us loose, Alec and I sprinted through the forest, and soon we gorged ourselves on a feast of wild boars. In the frenzy of sating our thirst, we didn't care about getting blood on our keikogi until Goro pointed it out to us.</p><p>"Better get those washed out at the falls," he said with a laugh. Though he had fasted for as long as we had, he had fed while keeping himself clean. His own keikogi was spotless.</p><p>The waterfall nearby provided not only a site for meditation and kata practice besides the clearing, but a place where we could bathe and get changed. The falls provided a natural barrier between me and Alec as we removed our clothes at opposite sides of the pool. Out of modesty and convenience I took the side behind the falls, facing the rock wall.</p><p>I pulled off my top and peered down at it with distaste at myself. Dirt and pig blood stained the white kimono. I plunged it into the water to wash off the mess. Then I submerged my whole body, hoping that the crisp chill of mountain water could cool me down even further. I walked over to where I stood neck-deep in the pool, and tipped my head back so that water framed my face.</p><p>"I need to get it together," I murmured to myself.</p><p>At least that the intense training and fasting got me more used to animal blood, so that I could stop relying on human blood like a crutch. I waded back to the shallow end of the pool and peered at it for my reflection.</p><p>I thought I caught a tinge of gold creeping into my eyes of amber. I still had a long way to go, but it was good to see a sign of progress.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>Leah and I had to tell Jake about the blue ghost horse, and when we went out for a night patrol, he got to see it, too. We didn't run after it, though. I didn't want Jake to get hurt like Leah, who would still grimace if she wrinkled her nose too hard.</p><p>Our pack stuck around by the cliffs until sunrise, and to our amazement, we watched the horse fade away with the arrival of sunlight.</p><p><em>I wonder if anyone in Sam's pack had seen this too</em>, Jake mused.</p><p>On the next night, instead of chasing after a horse that was impossible to catch, our packs gathered over a bonfire. Jake even had his dad assemble the council of elders around the fire, too.</p><p>I was allowed to start the discussion as I recounted my first night of spotting the horse.</p><p>"I've also seen it running around," Sam said with a nod. "Though it was a few nights after you, Seth. Of course, our first instinct was to chase it off our land."</p><p>Paul poked at the fire with a long stick. "When it came back, we asked it what it wanted, and it wouldn't say anything."</p><p>Jared shook his head. "We were so scared that the horse was gonna set the whole forest on fire."</p><p>"Then we got really weirded out when it didn't," Embry said.</p><p>Jake looked over to his dad. "What could it be? None of us have any idea."</p><p>From his seat in the wheelchair, Billy furrowed his brow. "When Sue brought up the matter with us, we consulted the archive of our tribe's folklore and legends." He shook his head. "There's no documentation of any kind of blue ghost horse, or even anything that mentioned a similar phenomenon."</p><p>"To tell you the truth, we're stumped," said Quil's grandpa. "Every spirit warrior in our stories is made of flesh and blood, not flames."</p><p>A deep, thoughtful frown set into Mom's face as she stared into the fire. "You all already know about how Taha Aki became the first spirit warrior. Before making a pact with the wolf, he had wandered around as a spirit, unable to return to his body. But his spirit took the form of a man, not an animal."</p><p>I raised a hand, like in class, to venture a question. "Could it be possible for an animal to be a wandering spirit?"</p><p>Billy raised a hand to his chin. "That's an interesting possibility...but there's no mention of that in our records, I'm afraid."</p><p>"We should not rule out anything in this strange world we live in," Quil's grandpa said. "Whatever this horse is may not be mentioned in our legends, but the world is far larger than the stories that had been passed down to us. The answer must lie beyond the borders and history of our tribe."</p><p>Nods of agreement all around. As the oldest member in our tribe, Quil's grandpa definitely had plenty of wisdom to impart to us.</p><p>"I'm sorry that we don't have the answers you seek," Mom said, and her gaze around us settled on me.</p><p>Jake shrugged. "This horse hasn't been causing any harm—not counting Leah smashing her nose into a tree, anyway. I see no need to be really concerned."</p><p>Billy rolled back his shoulders. "Well, it's getting late for us old folks. We need our beauty sleep. You young 'uns can keep the fire going and keep chatting, if you want."</p><p>Our packs wished the elders good night. Jake briefly left us to wheel his dad back home. Leah walked with Mom to the car, and Quil did the same with his grandpa. The rest of us hung around the fire to feed it more wood.</p><p>"Even Jane doesn't know about this horse," I said to my friends. "And she's been around for a long time."</p><p>Paul stuck out his bottom lip. "A real bummer that your girl doesn't have a clue, either."</p><p>"You call and text her every day?" Embry asked.</p><p>Jared raised his voice to a whine. "My vampire girlfriend's all the way in Japan, and I miss her so much." He threw back his head. "Ow ow owww!"</p><p>I gave him a playful shove to cut off his howling. "Guys, quit it! And I don't sound like that, Jared!"</p><p>Snickers went all around the bonfire like a hot potato. Even Sam, who usually put up a stern face to quiet down the rabble, couldn't keep from smirking. "I won't be surprised if you go down in the legends for this, Seth. No spirit warrior in our history has ever had a romantic relationship with a Cold One."</p><p>Sam's remark seemed to open me up to stabs from even Collin and Brady.</p><p>"I mean, we all knew you were a sucker for bloodsuckers..."</p><p>"But for you to fall head over heels for one?"</p><p>The two youngest guys in Sam's pack almost fell over the log with laughter. Even with the bonfire, I could feel the heat in my ears. Still, I'd take this over the guys wanting to rip Jane apart, as they would have wanted to before she became our ally.</p><p>Jake, Leah, and Quil's return brought our conversation back to more serious matters.</p><p>"So, about that horse," Quil said. "What are we gonna do about it?"</p><p>"If I can't catch it, there's no way in hell you guys could, either," Leah said wryly.</p><p>"You have a point," Sam replied, and he glanced at Jake. "I don't know about you, but my pack will be going about our patrols as usual. We'll let the horse carry on with its business here, whatever that is. No use in prying for answers if it's not going to respond to us."</p><p>"We'll be doing the same," Jake said. "I mean, that's all we can do. And we can only hope that it won't set the whole forest on fire."</p><p>"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Sam agreed grimly.</p><p>After the bonfire meeting, our packs split up to conduct business as usual. I checked my phone every day, at least every hour, but Jane hadn't contacted me since I asked her about the horse. She and Alec must be going through intense training. I hoped it wouldn't break them.</p><p>Whenever I missed Jane, I liked to curl up on the huge teddy bear in the living room and scroll through pictures of her. To whoever made up the myth that vampires couldn't show up in photos: I've got disappointing news for you. I've got pictures of my girlfriend to prove you wrong. The newest picture I had of her was when she had met my mom at the pier, and they posed side by side for the camera. Jane's smile always sent flutters in my chest. When she smiled for real, when she didn't do it to hurt people, she looked the most beautiful.</p><p>I thought about Sam's comment to me over the bonfire. I wondered how my story and Jane's would be told years from now, to new generations of Quileute wolves. Would it be a happy one, or a tragic one?</p><p>As for the blue horse, it kept on showing up every night, though I noticed that it would hang around longer than it had the night before. Maybe it was growing more comfortable with its surroundings. That didn't go over well with us wolves, who are territorial creatures. It was hard to keep on ignoring the horse, and letting it trot up and down like it owned our land.</p><p>Jake and Leah wanted to chase it off, but I wanted to try one last time to be courteous and ask nicely. Half a week since the bonfire, as we stood by the cliffs one night, I turned away from the sea to stop pretending that I couldn't see the horse.</p><p>Jake and Leah held their breaths as I took a careful pawstep toward it. Then another, and another. The horse didn't move. Only its mane and tail fluttered in the breeze. I looked at it in the eyes—if it could have any.</p><p><em>Excuse me, we've been wondering what you're doing here, </em>I said to it<em>. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it's already our land.</em></p><p>I expected it to gallop away like it had always done. Instead it spoke.</p><p>
  <em>I know it's yours. Please pardon my intrusion.</em>
</p><p>Leah and Jake crouched low to the ground in response, their hair standing on end.</p><p><em>You talk</em>, Jake exclaimed.</p><p><em>You can talk like us</em>, Leah said.</p><p><em>Not at first.</em> The horse pawed at the grass with its hoof. <em>It takes me great effort just to hold this form. It's taking me a lot more to speak to you.</em></p><p>The three most important questions, the ones I've been wanting to ask, sprang to my mind. <em>Who are you? What are you? Where did you come from?</em></p><p>
  <em>My name is Luka. Despite my shape, I am human, just like you. I come from far away, from across the sea.</em>
</p><p>The blue horse, Luka, wasn't a ghost after all. And he didn't sound anything like I had imagined. For some reason I thought the horse would have a woman's voice, soft and fluttering, to match how the mane and tail moved. Instead Luka had the voice of a grown man, in his thirties at least. He spoke English, though his voice carried the trace of an accent I couldn't pin down. Somewhere in Europe, was all I could guess. He sort of talked like Stefan and Vladimir.</p><p><em>What brought you out here? </em>Jake's question ended in a growl.</p><p>
  <em>Kudlak.</em>
</p><p><em>Huh?</em> Leah blurted out.</p><p><em>What's a kudlak?</em> I asked.</p><p>
  <em>They go by many names. Kudlak is the name my people go by. Perhaps you're more familiar with vampire.</em>
</p><p>Luka's reply took us aback.</p><p>Jake narrowed his eyes. <em>You know of them? What's it to you?</em></p><p>Luka craned back his pale blue neck for a moment, tipping his long nose to the air. <em>There's a great concentration of kudlak here. That explains why there are so many of you wolves running around. Yet from my observations, none of you make any move on the enemy that lives so close.</em></p><p>In our wolf forms, there was no use hiding any thoughts. <em>The Quileute tribe has an alliance with the coven nearby</em>, Jake said. <em>We live peacefully alongside them.</em></p><p><em>Is that so?</em> Luka didn't sound pleased at all. Before he could go on to tell us why, he pawed the ground with his hoof, let out something between a horse's snort and a human sigh, and turned away. <em>I've reached my limit. I can't hold this form any longer. I'm afraid my time with you is up tonight. Farewell.</em></p><p>I bounded forward. <em>Wait—</em></p><p>Luka sprang off without another word, and after two more graceful leaps, his blue, fiery form came apart in a cloud of wisps.</p><p>We were so astounded that none of us could pull up coherent thoughts for a second. Then Leah said, <em>What the hell was that all about?</em></p><p><em>Beats me</em>, Jake said with a slight shake of his coat.</p><p>I pulled back my ears and turned around to face my pack mates. <em>Luka knows about the Cullens. Now he knows that we're their allies. Maybe he doesn't mean us any harm, but... </em>Despite the summer heat, coldness trickled down to my paws. <em>He doesn't sound like a friend of vampires.</em></p><p>Jake and Leah stiffened beside me.</p><p><em>Then he is not welcome on our land</em>, Jake said solemnly. <em>And we've got to give the Cullens a heads up.</em></p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Alec</strong>
</p><p>Jane and I trained without rest, regardless of rain or shine. Goro made sure to drill kata so deeply into our heads that we could perform them without thinking, almost as if our bodies moved on their own. A thousand punches and kicks per day was the bare minimum we had to make; often Goro had us go above that count.</p><p>Even a fit human would collapse from exhaustion if subjected to this amount of intensity.</p><p>To build up our agility and mobility, Goro made us scale up and down the hill, but with one catch: the ground was strictly off-limits. To get around, we were only allowed to use the trees. That forced me and Jane to mind our footing, refine our jumps, and most importantly, develop good grips. Much to our embarrassment, we've had our fair share of slips and falls.</p><p>Sometimes Goro led us, so he could demonstrate more acrobatic ways to swing through the trees. For all his height and bulk, he vaulted and somersaulted across treetops as if he had been part of a circus troupe.</p><p>"Grace and elegance—I struggled with that the most when I was in training," he admitted to us after a sprint back to the peak. "I mean, look at me. Do I look like the picture of grace?" He patted his belly to make his point.</p><p>"Who trained you?" I asked.</p><p>"A great many teachers I had met on my travels. We'd be here all day if I had to name every single one of them. And guess what? They were all human."</p><p>That made Jane raise her delicate eyebrows. "You've not had a single teacher among our kind?"</p><p>Goro shook his head. "Remember that many of our kind don't take interest in fighting technique. Brute force served just as well for most of us. As for me, I wanted more. I wanted finesse. I wanted art."</p><p>Summer waned into fall. Sunset colors, autumn colors, blew their way into the clearing where we trained as the trees shed their leaves. Jane and I practiced more kata, moving past the mainstream martial arts that a human toddler could learn at the dojo, and into more obscure forms.</p><p>Talk of our teacher's artistic sensibility returned with the change of seasons.</p><p>"As you two are learning more and more, and better grasping all these techniques, think about the 'art' in martial arts. You can develop your own style based on what you favor." Goro turned his palms outward to us. "I merely provide you all the tools you may have at your disposal. It's up to you to decide which tools will become your favorites."</p><p>He promoted us from solo practice to sparring. He didn't have both of us attack him at once, but rather alternated between us in one-to-one close quarters combat. Now that my sister and I knew a wide variety of styles, we could test them against him. We could find out which ones worked better for us than others.</p><p>As Jane sparred with Goro, I recalled the first time she had tried to land a punch at his face. I had recognized Felix's fighting style in her attempt, and that approach had suited her like a fish out of water. What worked for a brute of raw force like Felix didn't translate well to a petite girl like Jane. She would have to stand toe-to-toe with Goro from another angle.</p><p>Against him, my sister was faring well until she left herself open to his blows. And with her small frame, it didn't take much to knock the fighting out of her. He grabbed her into a joint-lock and a twist of her arm, rendering her immobile and prone to being torn apart.</p><p>"Grappling's not going to work with me, little one," Goro said, and he released her. "All the training in the world can't make any brawn you have outmatch mine. Find your strength and lean on it."</p><p>Jane bounced on the balls of her feet, her amber-golden eyes alight as she was game for another round. When Goro swung at her again, trying to grab a hold of her, she ducked and weaved around his grasp. Her feet seemed to tap over the dirt, flitting in erratic directions like the flight path of a dragonfly. Goro never made contact with her all the while, because she made sure that he wouldn't. It was there that she found her strength in what Goro had struggled with the most—grace and elegance.</p><p>Goro straightened from his stance and nodded. "That's better. I think you're starting to find your groove."</p><p>Jane relaxed, looking pleased at his assessment.</p><p>She came to favor forms that emphasized low stances, evasive maneuvers, and intricate footwork. She especially used the low stances to her advantage, given her small size. The more she seemed to hug the ground, the better her mobility. To those ends, baguazhang and white crane style kung fu from China, as well as pencak silat from Indonesia, suited her perfectly.</p><p>Her first proper spar with Goro had mostly involved elements of baguazhang. The circling, evasive nature of it let her brush past blows that would have incapacitated her. According to legend, white crane style kung fu was invented by a woman, who had taken inspiration from the bird's movements. She'd been cleaning her house when the crane landed nearby, and when she tried to shoo it away with her broom, it countered her with its beak and wings. As the story implies, the point of the style was to emphasize deflection over physical strength. Its use gave those with small, slender builds an advantage in battle—in other words, it was tailored for someone like Jane. As for pencak silat: according to Goro, it was traditionally practiced in muddy rice fields, in order to refine balance and achieve flawless footwork on slippery ground. Jane loved rainy days for that reason, so she could dive into silat practice. The rapid succession of kicks made her feet tap out a splashing rhythm over puddles of rain.</p><p>I had to smile at the irony. Jane used to hate the rain when we were children. She had hated getting wet and not being able to play outside. Our parents wouldn't believe their eyes if they could see her now.</p><p>As for myself, I wanted to make use of misdirection and deception. That would lend me a greater degree of unpredictability, which had been my biggest asset in the Volturi. I wasn't as small as my sister, but most vampires still outranked me in size. Because of that, I also wanted to specialize in techniques that would let me redirect a larger opponent's power and weight against them. Jiu-jitsu was ideal for this. A form that combined both of my needs, however, was leopard style kung fu. A leopard would use hit and run tactics to deal with animals larger than itself. That suited me just fine.</p><p>I've had many bouts of sparring with Goro to refine my leopard fist, which involved an unusual combination of striking and blocking. When he nodded in approval at my progress, I thought he would switch to fighting Jane next. Instead he said, "You want unpredictable, huh? Then I'll show you a form that's a textbook definition of it."</p><p>He curled his index and middle fingers into hooks, and began swaying and staggering towards me. The sudden show of clumsiness and imbalance made Jane snicker, and I couldn't fight back a smile.</p><p>Goro cut off my smile with a swing that caught me off guard. He grabbed me before I could react. With an exaggerated arc of his back, he hauled me up to toss me over his shoulder. I fell in a graceless heap behind him. Goro pivoted to face me with his fingers still curled in, and looked like on the verge of tipping over. Then he dropped the act and straightened himself.</p><p>"Looks funny, eh? Well, it's a legitimate form called drunken boxing. The key to it is to <em>look</em> like you're drunk. You take your opponent off guard, maybe even humor them a little. And that's when you strike. I wasn't going to teach it to either of you..." He nodded at me. "But if you really want the element of surprise, then there's something you can use."</p><p>I patted the dust from my clothes. "It's certainly the most unusual style of martial arts that I've seen so far." I bowed at him. "Please teach it to me."</p><p>Jane snickered again. "Brother, you're joking."</p><p>"Oh, I'm serious."</p><p>That just made her grin spread wider across her face. Goro proceeded to teach me the erratic, loopy movements of drunken boxing, which provided Jane great entertainment. As I had told her, I took learning this silly-looking style with all seriousness. What looked like aimless staggering around and tipping over were actually calculated, deliberate movements to be one step ahead of the opponent. What looked like a fighting style I would never pick up was exactly the thing I would use.</p><p>My sister: the crane and the rain dancer, and me: the leopard and the drunkard. Quite a strange pair we were turning out to be.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It was a lot of fun figuring out what fighting styles Jane and Alec would favor, which I tried to decide based on their strengths and personalities.</p><p>Leopard and crane style kung fu are demonstrated through Tai Lung and Crane from Kung Fu Panda. Like almost all KFP characters, they fight in the style matching their species. Drunken boxing is popularized from Jackie Chan movies. For you Avatar: The Last Airbender fans, you probably already recognize baguazhang because it's the real-life basis for airbending. As for pencak silat, I know it best from Iko Uwais movies.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jane</strong>
</p><p>Snow started to fall when Goro took me and my brother down the hill, but not for a sprint through the trees. We went down to be in touch with civilization once again, for the first time since we had gone into town to cut and sell fish.</p><p>But this time he led us past the town, and past the pier, even. We swerved off the paved paths and into the sands of the shoreline.</p><p>"If we're not helping you sell fish again, where are we going?" Alec asked.</p><p>"To someplace very important," was all Goro said, and his short reply opened up no room for more questions. He carried no nets with him. He had even left behind his bag of fishing poles and swords on the top of the hill.</p><p>He waded into the sea. Waves lapped up more and more of his body, like greedy licks of a dog, as he took steps forward. He turned to where we had stopped away from the waves' reach.</p><p>"Well, don't just stand there," he said with a snort. "You two know how to swim."</p><p>Goro had taught us more than mere swimming. Flying through the trees would help us improve our agility. To build stamina, he would have us swim against the current of a river, where it flowed the strongest and would be enough to capsize boats. At the minimum we had to swim in place, and ideally we would have the strength to swim upstream. Was this another test of our stamina, but in open seawater this time?</p><p>At our teacher's prompting, we waded in with him without objections or complaints. The coming winter kept locals away from enjoying themselves on the beach, so no one saw the three of us submerge.</p><p>No current challenged us, so my brother and I had no problem with closely tailing Goro. He led us further into chilly depths, and soon the bank dropped off steeply into several hundred feet of open water. Goro angled himself down to descend the incline, and we followed. He did not scale down the entirety of its height. Instead, about three-fourths of the way, he veered off toward a nearby reef. Alec and I streaked over a metropolis of coral and its colorful inhabitants. Schools of fish darted out of our sight. In the hazy blue distance, sharks cruised around and trained dark, unblinking eyes on us, as if wondering what to make of the sudden arrival of other apex predators.</p><p>The reef dropped off again, this time into what looked like a submerged landslide. The rocks along the seafloor led us to the mouth of a cave. We swam on, our sharp sight undeterred by the incoming darkness. We didn't swim in the dark for long. A few minutes later, we ascended into a pocket of air, a pocket of land trapped underwater.</p><p>I climbed out first and helped Alec up from the water. The keikogi stuck to our skin and water streamed from the ends of our sleeves. My soaked hair clung to the outline of my neck and shoulders. I looked up at the ceiling that loomed about ten feet above us. From where we had emerged, more of the cave yawned before us into a sort of hallway.</p><p>"What is this place?" I asked. My voice sent a dull hollow echoing off the rock walls.</p><p>"I stumbled upon it during one of my many dives here," Goro replied. "Certainly human divers must know of it too, but I doubt that most would think of this as anything beyond an ordinary cave."</p><p>"So it's extraordinary, then?" Alec said. "Something special?"</p><p>A corner of Goro's lips tugged upward. "You think that beings like humans and vampires are the only ones with gifts? With special qualities? Places can be gifted, too, like this Cave of Stolen Souls."</p><p>I blinked up at him. "Stolen Souls?"</p><p>"That's right, little one. If you walk farther down this cave, and listen closely, you'll be able to hear the voices of those whose souls you had stolen. Taking a life is the greatest kind of theft."</p><p>There was no such thing as ghosts. Or so I had thought. A shiver went up my spine. My brother and I took a step backward, but before we could go back any more, Goro gripped us by the arms and pulled us forward.</p><p>"Things have a way of catching up and coming back to haunt you. The best way to confront them and move past them is head-on, without retreat."</p><p>I clenched my jaw. Alec and I may have left the actual disposal of our kind to the likes of Felix and Demetri, but as longstanding former members of the Volturi, we had partaken in the slaughter and feeding of countless humans. I used to think nothing of it, like the way a human thought of meat: not thinking too much of where that food had come from and what it was like before it had been butchered. Coming to this cave jolted me out of that thinking.</p><p>With hands on our backs, Goro led us farther into the cave, and where it came to a dead end, he released us. "You will stay here for as long as you can bear it," he ordered.</p><p>For all his imposing bulk, he didn't take up the entire width of the cave. Alec and I could turn back the way we came if we wanted. I certainly didn't want to stick around and find out that ghosts were real, after all. I whirled around as soon as his palm left my back, but before I could even take a step forward, the strangest sound slid into my ears.</p><p>I froze. At first I thought it was wind. But what could that be possibly doing all the way down here? The sound was muted at first, like a whisper, but it grew to a crescendo that filled the space of my mind. There came the screams of many people—men, women, the occasional adolescent boy or girl—all clamoring for attention.</p><p>I clutched the sides of my head and I sank to my knees. Alec buckled in and sank to the floor beside me. His eyes squeezed shut and his mouth hung open slightly, but if he said anything, I couldn't hear his voice amid all the others who screamed far above him. The people whose blood I had consumed screamed at me out of many things: pain, anger, grief, sorrow.</p><p>"Stop it," I cried. "Leave me alone!"</p><p>The howls of the dead wouldn't relent. They bore down on me all at once, and in every person's fierce desire to be heard and remembered, I couldn't make out a single one. I couldn't even bring myself to move another inch. The multitude of voices held me prisoner. My fingers dug into my hair. I felt like my head was going to burst, like I was going to die right here and now, and join those lives I had stolen. Would I feel their hands too? Would I feel them clawing at my body to tear me apart, to get the revenge they've always wanted?</p><p>Someone grabbed me by the cloth on my back. They came for me, then. Pure cold fear kept me from struggling. I was dragged away until the cacophony of screams faded away into a haunting memory. I looked up in bewilderment, then remembered that Goro was here, that we were in a cave. Alec had been dragged away from the dead end as well, and like me, he clutched at the crooks of his sleeves and trembled from head to toe.</p><p>Peering down at us, Goro shook his head in pity. "You wretched things." His low voice rumbled through the cave like faraway thunder. "You two have fed from the blood of so many people that the very sound of them came back to paralyze you. If I hadn't been around to pull you out, who knows how long you'd be down here?"</p><p>With unusually gentle hands on our shoulders, he led us to the pool of water we had come from. He stood by, watching me and Alec splash cold salt water into our faces and gather our composures.</p><p>"This cave has the gift of letting the dead have a voice in this world," he said. "In particular, the dead who've been killed by anyone who wanders in here."</p><p>My brother and I pulled ourselves into tight cross-legged positions, with hunched shoulders and arms folded over our chests, as if we expected another assault by the lives we had taken.</p><p>Goro sat across from us. "When Carlisle was with me, I had taken him down to this very cave. Imagine my surprise when he told me that he hadn't taken any human lives since he turned. Sure enough, he went down the cave and back saying he couldn't hear anything." He shook his head, this time reliving his admiration. "He is quite something."</p><p>"What about you?" My voice came out hoarse and small, as if all the screaming I had heard was from me alone. "Do you hear anything in here?"</p><p>Goro said nothing for a long time. Finally, he nodded. "The voices of jinrō, including my daughter."</p><p>Alec's voice trembled. "Your daughter?"</p><p>"Including her..." The implication of that floored me.</p><p>Goro's eyes narrowed to golden slits fixed to the cave floor. "I had my hands full with the fish and the nets when Yuki went to buy food from another town's market. She never came back before sundown. I dropped my nets and went to see why. I came to a town bathed in blood and the light of a full moon. And at the center of it: a lone jinrō."</p><p>Alec and I sat as still and rigid as statues. Children of the Moon were not like Seth and his pack, not completely wolf. One could still see traces of human in their hunched, two-legged forms. They were not born, but made. As with our kind, Children of the Moon passed on the curse through their bites. Someone had gotten to Goro's daughter first, before he could.</p><p>He lifted his gaze to me. "Yuki was around your age and size, a willowy little thing. Because of that, though she became a jinrō, I could pin her down and cut into her with my man-made blade. I...I couldn't bring myself to kill her right away. A part of me hoped that somehow she could turn back, and I could have my little girl again." He raised a hand to run fingers along his scars. "This was her way of saying 'to hell with that hope.'"</p><p>I couldn't bring myself to look at his face for long. Those scars weren't badges of courage and strength. Those scars told the story of his deepest pain.</p><p>"Yuki died without biting me, but her claws did a fine job of almost taking me with her. I laid there in a pool of her blood and mine, ready to die. Someone came along and bit me on the neck. I still don't know to this day who. Maybe it was someone who saw a reason for me to live on. I woke up the next day to my second life." He waved a hand. "The rest is history."</p><p>Total silence reigned in the Cave of Stolen Souls. Goro had never shared so much as a peep of his personal life with me and Alec. Now he had unleashed it upon us like a current in the hill's river—a strong, surging, overwhelming flood of vulnerability we had long assumed he didn't have.</p><p>Alec and I exchanged a searching look, as we wondered what reply would suffice.</p><p>Goro spared us the effort by rising to his feet. "Anyway, it's time we head back to the valley. This isn't the kind of place you want to stay in for too long."</p><p>We lived in the present, for the past was to merely visit, not to dwell on. I nodded in agreement, relieved to be leaving this strange, haunting cave. Alec and I dove into the water after Goro. As we swam, the water in my ears served as a cushion from the echoing memory of screams. I kept my eyes on Goro's back.</p><p>Would he dive down to the cave sometimes, just to hear his daughter again? Could you visit and listen to the dead often enough to hear more than their screams?</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Seth</strong>
</p><p>Luka talking to us made him disappear earlier than usual, before the sun came up. Jake, Leah, and I didn't wait for dawn to break. We ran as fast as our paws could take us to the Cullens' house. Good thing that vampires didn't need to sleep, otherwise we would have rudely interrupted their morning.</p><p>Again, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie lent us their clothes to wear when we phased back. Emergencies had this bad habit of not letting us have time to bring a change of clothes. Usually I would appreciate the Cullens' generosity, but now there was too much on my mind to say thanks.</p><p>"We need to talk to you about something that's gonna sound pretty weird," Jake said.</p><p>Being the mind-reader, Edward caught on first. "The blue horse? Yes, we've seen it sometimes."</p><p>"You have?" I blurted out.</p><p>Jasper nodded. "It comes and goes while we're on the occasional hunt. It always keeps its distance from us, always watching. It's been doing that since the summer started."</p><p>Alice crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "I couldn't foresee its arrival. We couldn't even smell it coming until we'd catch sight of it."</p><p>"When we try to chase it down, it would outrun even Edward and go poof." Emmett made a bursting motion with the spread of his pale fingers.</p><p>Faced with the tidal wave of our thoughts, Edward furrowed his dark brow. "This horse has spoken to you three? We didn't think it could talk at all."</p><p>Bella gently nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. "Hey, not all of us here can read minds. Care to explain what's going on?"</p><p>We settled down in the living room, and Jake related our run-in with Luka with the kind of patience like the biggest dog kept behind the cheapest leash, ready to go flying at any moment.</p><p>"We came to warn you," Leah said. "That horse didn't sound like it came all this way to make friends."</p><p>Esme gave her a warm smile. "We appreciate your consideration."</p><p>Edward's golden gaze fell on me. "Seth, you think that horse sounded like Stefan and Vladimir?"</p><p>My face went hot. "Er, yeah, I guess." Out of all the thoughts shared among the pack, out of all the details we could pick up on the horse, why did he have to zero in on that? It was a silly afterthought, something hardly worth noting.</p><p>Once Edward put that glimpse of my imagination on house-wise broadcast, Carlisle took on a thoughtful expression. "Finally, we may have a clue of where that horse came from. Tanya and Kate may have an even better clue."</p><p>Edward nodded in agreement. "We should talk to them."</p><p>"I'll get them on Zoom." Esme stepped away to retrieve her laptop.</p><p>What would those two from Denali know about this? Jake and Leah looked as clueless as I was.</p><p>A few minutes later, Esme came back to set her laptop on the coffee table, and we gathered in front of the screen. Tanya and Kate peered back at us from their own seats at the dinner table.</p><p>"Good morning," Tanya said. "Everyone else stepped out to hunt."</p><p>"You need the whole coven here?" Kate asked.</p><p>"No, just the two of you," Edward replied. "We think that what we're about to tell you might ring a bell." He told them his family's side of the story, then we wolves stepped in to tell ours.</p><p>Though they quietly listened the whole way through, Tanya and Kate's faces shifted among expressions of alarm, concern, and most of all, recognition.</p><p>Kate lowered her gaze to the tabletop. "We haven't spoken of this in centuries," she murmured.</p><p>"Spoken of what?" Carlisle asked.</p><p>"The kresnik," Tanya said. She said it like the word was a barb in her mouth.</p><p>What the heck was a kresnik? From the looks of everyone around me, no one had heard of this word before, not even Carlisle.</p><p>Kate lifted her gaze to regard us with grave measure. "We have a story of our own for you. We didn't think it would be a story worth bringing up again, but here we are." She eyed me, Jake, and Leah as she said, "Tanya and I are originally from Slovakia, and it was there that our coven formed and had spent its early days, around the year 1000. This was back when we had our mother Sasha, her mate, and our sister Irina among us."</p><p>After that helpful tidbit for the uninitiated, Tanya took over. "We had been feeding on humans at the time, going from village to village to discreetly pick off the old and weak. One night, we met resistance from a village on the border of Slovenia." Her eyes darkened at the memory. "Our way was barred by a great blue stag. It was almost see-through, like a ghost. The ends of its antlers blazed in the night like little flames."</p><p>"Against our better instincts, we took it head-on," Kate said. "Sasha's mate led the charge. The stag lowered its head and charged to meet him. It gored him right through with its antlers. The rest of us watched him fall apart into a mess of charred pieces."</p><p>Shock and horror rippled among us. Dismemberment and burning, two killing moves rolled into one. Until now, I didn't think that was possible.</p><p>"Kate tried to ambush it from behind," Tanya said, "to try grabbing it by the neck and ripping its head off. She ended up burning her palms. None of us could touch that thing."</p><p>Leah and I shared a look of mixed alarm and relief. A really good thing that she hadn't been able to chase down Luka, then.</p><p>"Then the stag spoke to us." More gravity and weight slipped into Kate's voice as she went on. "'Leave this village be,' it said, 'Or face the fiery wrath of Kresnik.'"</p><p>"Kresnik is the god of fire worshipped in those parts," Tanya explained. "We thought he was a myth, a figment of human imagination. But in that night, in our fear, we thought we were facing the god himself."</p><p>"But then the sun rose, and the stag faded away with the night." Kate made a sound of derision. "Some god of fire he was, if he couldn't even show up with the sun. We had thought then that it must have been some human trickery, not a god."</p><p>Tanya crossed her arms, propping her forearms on the table. "We retreated from the village defeated in battle, but determined to win the war. After mourning for her mate, Sasha was hell-bent on getting revenge for what happened that night—the Blue Night, we called it. We lurked just outside the village borders, watching its activities all day and all night. The stag never appeared during the day. At night, it would roam through the houses, as if patrolling them."</p><p>"We probed it for its weak spots," Kate said. "After many nights of observing, we figured out that this stag had its limits. It couldn't stray too far from the village, and our mistake had been stepping inside its attack range. Most of all, if it saw no danger before the sun rose, it would walk into the same house, like it was returning home."</p><p>"Like a spirit returning to its body," I said. Then I raised my hands in apology. "Sorry for interrupting. What you said reminded me of my tribe's legends."</p><p>I couldn't go on beyond that, because those legends weren't for outsiders to hear. There was something sacred about hearing stories shared among the bonfire, and being in that circle and being trusted enough to have that heritage passed on to you.</p><p>Tanya and Kate didn't pry, but Tanya said, "Yes, that's exactly what it was. At sunset, just before the stag could emerge, we closed in on the home it came from and found the man responsible."</p><p>"We could tell it was him by his voice," Kate said, "if not by the scent, because that stag had smelled like nothing. The sun still in the sky became his undoing. He couldn't release his stag form from his body, and we finished him off easily. 'My family will avenge me. The hate for your kind will keep burning as fuel for our spirits. The torch will be passed on.' Those were his last words to us."</p><p>Tanya looked ashamed then, staring down at her hands. "Because of that, to ensure our safety, we killed the rest of his family—his wife, brothers, sons and daughters. No one in that house was left alive."</p><p>"We came out making no more mention of him among us," Kate said. "We had wiped out his bloodline, so he would no longer be a threat to our kind. That's why we didn't report to the Volturi. We had kept the secret of the Blue Night and the kresnik to ourselves."</p><p>"Until now." Tanya's lips narrowed to a pale, thin line. "The appearance of this blue horse is cause for great concern. The man we had killed must have had a surviving child. The horse is a sign that we had failed to erase that man's legacy."</p><p>Kate frowned. "If he is able to show up here, from across the sea, then he has certainly come a long way since his ancestor, who couldn't even go beyond the borders of a village."</p><p>Now I got why Edward had pointed out my comment. Luka sounded like he came from some Slavic country, around where Stefan and Vladimir, Tanya and Kate used to live. I thought about the man's last words to Tanya's coven: "The hate for your kind will keep burning as fuel for our spirits." The surviving remainder of his family had been passing on that torch, then, in the same way that the first spirit warriors of the Quileute tribe passed down their legacy to my generation. If Luka's body was somewhere in eastern Europe, and his spirit could push itself and wander this far to the States, then he must be a real fireball of hatred for vampires. Maybe he used to have his sights set on the Volturi in Italy, but now that they were gone, he turned to the next biggest coven in the world: the Cullens.</p><p>Everyone around me seemed to share my train of thought. Grim, tight-lipped concern settled into the house like a dead weight. Back then, Tanya and Kate were only able to "kill" the spirit by killing the body. But now, what could we do against a vengeful spirit when we didn't even know where to find the body?</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Alec</strong>
</p><p>The pink bloom of sakura trees announced the coming of spring when Goro made us descend the hill once again.</p><p>We took a familiar path to the town, past the pier, and to the coastline, but this time we didn't wade into the sea. Instead Goro had us go on foot all day, leaving a trail of footprints in the sand. It was nightfall by the time we reached our destination. We seemed to have stopped by a copse of trees.</p><p>As I caught the scent on the chilly wind, I stiffened. Jane mirrored my reaction beside me. Behind those trees was the thick scent of spilled human blood. Goro gripped us around the back of our necks, firm enough to keep us from moving much, but not so hard that he'd take our heads off.</p><p>He bounded up to the trees, easily taking us with him. We perched among the labyrinth of leaves and branches, and Goro kept a hold on our necks. Nighttime gloom obscured us from the notice of any human passerby. And anyone within the hospital before us.</p><p>My sister gripped the branch closest to my reach. "We shouldn't be here," she said tightly.</p><p>"Had you been any less trained, I would have said the same." Goro's eyes were like twin suns upon us. "This is where we'll be meditating tonight."</p><p>I swallowed hard. Despite all of Goro's training, and the periods of fasting we had endured, I didn't think that we would have the discipline to sit calmly before a mouth-watering buffet of broken, bleeding humans.</p><p>Goro's fingers pressed down on the flesh between my neck and shoulders. He did the same to my sister. At his silent prompting, Jane and I tried to sit down on the branches we'd been standing on. Goro settled in between us, though by bending his knees instead of sitting.</p><p>"Same thing as on the rocks," he said. "Deep breaths in and out."</p><p>I slanted a wary glance over at Jane. Breathing in like that would just strengthen the temptation. Was he setting us up for disaster?</p><p>"You doubt yourselves too much," he rumbled. "Think about how far you've come, how much you've learned. Think about how much farther you'll go if you can get through this night."</p><p>I couldn't forget why Jane and I had come to Japan in the first place. We had sought guidance on how to become not only stronger, but how to make amends. To overcome the haunting ghosts of our past, we had to set our sights on the future, a future where we could value and protect human life instead of callously disregarding it.</p><p>"Deep breaths in and out," Goro repeated.</p><p>As with the Cave of Stolen Souls, he wasn't giving us the option of retreat. We had to confront this head-on. Jane and I complied by closing our eyes and filling our lungs with the smell of blood. As we had learned on the rocks, blood could be in life or in death. My sense of smell had been honed and refined enough for me to pick out the nuances, the distinctions, as easily as one could read the signs for each floor of the hospital.</p><p>The floor directly across from us, at our level, smelled of sweat, tears, and afterbirth. The maternity ward. I could hear the faint cries of newborn infants, and some mothers weeping themselves, as they rejoiced over the birth of their children.</p><p>That brought me back to the delivery of my nephew, where my sister didn't have the luxury of numbing anesthetic, a clean room full of machines, or the experience of hospital staff. She only had a rag she bit down on to muffle her screams, our mother as the improvised midwife, and my hand for her to squeeze and almost break. Jane had been young and small, her body still that of a girl's, not quite a woman's yet. Motherhood had been pushed onto her too soon. Somehow, despite all of that, when our mother had showed Jane her newborn son, she looked at him like the sun shining through a wall of thunderclouds. It had baffled me how my sister could radiate such tenderness for the damp, wailing thing that had almost killed her. More than a thousand years later, I still couldn't understand a mother's pain and love. Perhaps I never will.</p><p>As for the floor above the maternity ward, it smelled of wounds fresh and festering, the iron-like tang of metal from cutting tools, and sharp scent of saline. Trauma surgery. I could hear doctors and nurses calling to each other, everyone scrambling to save the life laid out on the table before them.</p><p>I thought of the physician in Volterra, a true monster in human disguise. To think that I had once worked with him, without any thought for the lives behind the sacks of meat I had brought to him...I had been following orders, but disgust and shame at myself overwhelmed me.</p><p>The floor below the maternity ward, unlike the noisy surgery floor, was solemnly quiet. I could smell impending death wafting from that hall, from the sickest patients in the hospital. Muffled sobs punctuated the air, coming from grieving families of those patients whose hearts stopped beating.</p><p>Focusing on the sounds of those tears being shed kept me from salivating over so much spilled blood. I resonated with their pain and sorrow. Beside me, my sister sat just as still and quietly on the branch. The only sound coming from her was the steady breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth.</p><p>After a few breaths of my own, I realized that there was no longer a firm pressure behind my neck. I blinked my eyes open to see Goro still sitting between us, though his hands were now on his lap. How long had we been sitting here, free to throw ourselves at vulnerable patients if we wanted? Though Goro's large body obscured my sister from view, I could sense her surprise as she came to the same realization.</p><p>Goro's voice almost blended with the soft rustling of leaves around us. "This place is very special, too. I had also brought Carlisle here, and it was here that he found his calling to become a doctor."</p><p>My wide-eyed wonder swept along the hospital, from the first floor to the top. For years my former master Aro had wondered how Carlisle managed to gain an impossible level of control, and this was it. This was the secret.</p><p>"He was just as worried as you two on his first visit," Goro went on. "But the more he came here to reflect, and simply take in the smells and sounds, that helped him rise above his instincts. He learned not to see prey, but people. Now you two are learning."</p><p>Slowly he rose to his feet, as did my sister and I, but he still made no move to restrain us. Moonlight peeked through the treetops to reveal a ghost of a smile on Goro's scarred face. It was a smile that said "you've done well."</p><p>The fifteen year-old boy in me basked in that fatherly validation.</p>
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